WATCH: Gary Sánchez Clobbers Tape Measure Shot For Third Home Run of Spring
LAKELAND, Fla. — Everyone in the ballpark knew this was long gone right off Gary Sánchez's bat.
The Yankees' catcher clobbered his third home run of the spring on Tuesday, sending a pitch from Detroit Tigers left-hander Daniel Norris halfway up the light tower in left field.
Statcast measured the homer at 388 feet with an exit velocity of 109.4 mph.
After a disappointing campaign in 2020, where Sánchez lost his starting job behind the plate by the time the postseason began, the catcher worked hard all offseason to make adjustments offensively.
He's been praised by New York's coaching staff this spring at camp for his work ethic and the improvements that he's made, maintaining a compact swing while keeping his weight back.
It may be early, but it appears those changes are starting to pay off. Sánchez entered play on Tuesday hitting .333 this spring (3-for-9) with two home runs.
He whacked a long ball over the batter's eye at George M. Steinbrenner Field against Detroit back on March 1. A few days later, against the Blue Jays, Sánchez blasted a big fly to the opposite field.
Those adjustments are resonating with his teammates as well. On Sunday, Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge referred to Sánchez as the type of player that could win American League Most Valuable Player.
"Gary's going to have a special year this year," Judge said. "When he's at the plate, don't leave anything out over the middle because he's going to do some damage."
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