Brian Sanches
| IP | 235 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.753 |
| WHIP | 1.409 |
| BB/9 | 4.672 |
| SO/9 | 7.813 |
- Full name Brian Lee Sanches
- Born 08/08/1978 in Beaumont, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Lamar
- Debut 06/01/2006
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Drafted in the 2nd round (54th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 1999 (signed for $615,000).
View Draft Report
RHP Brian Sanches sneaked up on scouts this spring. He missed the first part of the season with a pulled groin muscle and wasn't well-known to begin with. He came with a rush by showing good command of an above-average fastball and curve.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Sanches led all short-season pitchers with 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings in his pro debut in 1999, and began 2000 by overmatching the Carolina League. He opened May by throwing a no-hitter and one-hitter in consecutive starts, improving his record to 2-1, 1.77 with 35 strikeouts in 36 innings. At that point the Royals believe the game was coming too easily to Sanches, who lost focus and slumped the rest of the way. He doesn't have the stuff that allows him a great margin for error. His best pitch is his curveball, and his fastball can touch 90 mph with average movement. He has a feel for a changeup, though it still is developing. Sanches must improve his command, both throwing more strikes and locating his pitches in the strike zone. If he doesn't, he could be in for a rude awakening at hitter-friendly Wichita this year.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Sanches didn't come as highly touted as teammates MacDougal and Snyder, but some observers felt he was just as good a prospect. The Royals limited Sanches' starts and pitch counts through the summer after Sanches continued to recover from a groin pull that limited his activity in the spring. Although Sanches' fastball is solid average in the 90-92 mph range, his best pitch is a hard curveball that gets excellent two-plane breaking action. One league manager called Sanches' curveball a devastating big league pitch. His changeup also shows the potential to be a solid pitch. Sanches didn't start pitching full-time until he was in college at Lamar, so he has a fresh arm. For someone with only a couple of years of experience, Sanches' mechanics and approach to pitching are fairly polished.
