Cristopher Sánchez Dominates With 13-Strikeout Shutout as His Changeup Emerges MLB's Best Pitch
Updated
Updated · Sports Illustrated · May 18
Cristopher Sánchez Dominates With 13-Strikeout Shutout as His Changeup Emerges MLB's Best Pitch
8 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · May 18
Sánchez’s Saturday gem at Pittsburgh — a road shutout with 13 strikeouts, no walks and 108 pitches — capped a surge that has pushed him into the early NL Cy Young conversation.
364 changeups into the season, the Phillies left-hander has held hitters to a .148 average and .167 slugging on the pitch, which stands out for matching his sinker’s release and spin while adding elite two-plane movement.
46 changeups in each of his past two starts underline how heavily he leans on a rare three-pitch mix; only three pitchers with 500 pitches this year use as few as three offerings.
Philadelphia has won Sánchez’s last four starts, during which he owns a 0.59 ERA with 37 strikeouts and four walks, making him central to the Phillies’ turnaround.
Can an aging Phillies roster sustain its recent momentum, or is this just a temporary hot streak?
How did a minor-league trade acquisition become the unexpected ace carrying the Phillies' World Series hopes?