Sanchez defected from Cuba and wasn’t eligible to sign until late in the 2023 international signing period, and the Orioles had enough pool money laying around to ink him for $450,000 in December of that year. Sanchez then had a standout debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2024, pairing 21 extra-base hits with a 1.037 OPS, though his unique situation did make him old for the circuit and his season was cut short due to an injury.
A left-handed-hitting outfielder, Sanchez has tremendous raw power that he’s already showing an ability to tap into with both extra-base and over-the-fence authority, and because of the loft to his swing, he produced one of the lower ground-ball rates in the Orioles' system. The hit tool is less polished but he shows some strike zone recognition and ability to work counts, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he developed into an average hitter with above-average power. The bat is the carrying tool as Sanchez is just a fringe-average runner.
Sanchez saw time at all three outfield positions during his debut, but his bat-first profile is best suited for a corner, possibly left field because the arm is just average. Based on his age and abilities, Sanchez is like an everyday corner outfielder starter set: he’ll need to refine his approach at the plate and show he can hit more advanced pitching, but his precocious ability to barrel pitches and hit the ball hard give him the ceiling of a middle-of-the-order run-producer.
While the 2023 international signing period opened in January, not all impact signings happened right at the start of the period on Jan. 15. Case in point is Sanchez, a Cuban outfielder who wasn’t eligible to sign until late October of last year. The Orioles had a little bit of international bonus pool money left over and offered it to Sanchez, who agreed to sign for $450,000. He made a very strong first impression during his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League this year.
Sanchez is a strong left-handed hitter with tremendous raw power. The encouraging thing is he’s already showing he can get to it. While his hit tool is still developing, he has shown some strike zone recognition and overall made good swing decisions during his debut. His plate discipline has helped him get on base and to get into counts so he can tap into that pop, both with extra-base and over-the-fence authority.
While Sanchez played all three outfield spots during his debut, he won’t be a center fielder long-term. An average runner at best, his average arm should play just fine in an outfield corner spot. If his DSL showing is any indication, he might have the run-producing potential to profile well there, too.
