Anibal Sanchez had one of the best seasons in his big league career in 2018. Can he continue this success in the Washington Nationals rotation this year?
The Washington Nationals made one of the most significant moves of the offseason by picking up left-handed pitcher Patrick Corbin, but the Nats didn’t stop there upgrading their rotation.
They doubled down and also signed veteran pitcher Anibal Sanchez to a two-year contract shoring up their rotation even more.
In 24 starts spanning over 136 innings, Sanchez went 7-6 with a 2.83 ERA and 135 strikeouts.
Sanchez revived his career, blowing away his numbers from the 2014-2017 seasons. The 35-year-old blew the league away with his performance, and the big question for the Nationals is if he can continue that success in 2018.
At this stage of his career, Sanchez relies more on command than blowing people away, but he was still able to induce weak contact in 2018 holding hitters to a .213 batting average.
Sanchez walked only 42 batters in his 136 innings as well.
Picking up Sanchez gives the Nationals a reliable veteran whom they can depend on in their rotation, even if he does not perform to his 2018 level.
With this also being an addition by subtraction move, the Nationals will not have to face the right-hander anymore when the Nats play the Braves.
In his career, Sanchez was 10-1 against the Nationals with a 2.06 ERA. At Nationals Park, Sanchez is 4-1 in 10 starts with a 2.11 ERA.
The Nationals do not need Sanchez to be Superman.
What Washington needs out of the 35-year-old is to stay healthy, which he has for the most part in his career, and take the ball every fifth day and give them six or so solid innings.
If he can be the pitcher he was in 2018, the Nationals could have one of the best rotations in MLB history. Even if he can just be 3/4ths of the guy he was last year, Washington’s starters likely will be the best unit in baseball.