WATCH: Gary Sánchez Clobbers Tape Measure Shot For Third Home Run of Spring

New York Yankees catcher Gary Sánchez hit a long home run against the Detroit Tigers in a spring training game. It was Sánchez's third homer of the 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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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.