Sixto Sánchez throws live BP, receives praise

JUPITER, FL—A welcome scene took place in the backfields of the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex on Wednesday morning. Right-hander Sixto Sánchez threw live BP to some of the more prominent hitters in Marlins big league camp, including two-time batting champ Luis Arraez.

"Once I saw (Arraez), we all know how good he is as a hitter. That situation really inspired me to be better," said Sixto through a translator. 

From Arraez's point of view, Sixto was on his game. He described the changeup in particular as "nasty." 

Before his recurring shoulder injuries, Sixto's best pitch had always been his changeup.

"I will say that my change is my best secondary pitch. I never felt like it went away—it's always been there. I threw a changeup to Arraez, and I thought he was going to swing, but he's such a good hitter," said Sánchez on Wednesday afternoon. 

"I'm very thankful to just be healthy. It was a couple of years without pitching like that. Throwing this live BP was great. I'm really close to 100%," added the Dominican right-hander. 

During his media session, Sánchez mentioned that he threw his fastball, changeup, and cutter during this 20-pitch outing. He hadn't used that cutter since 2020, when it represented about 17% of his pitch mix. 

Regarding his fastball velocity, a couple of hitters who faced him told Fish on First that they would estimate it at 93-94 mph.

"As of right now, I'm throwing the fastball a little harder than I was before," said Sánchez, "but I still think there's some [room] for growth." Back in 2020 when Sanchez made his Major League debut, he was consistently throwing in the upper 90's, topping 100 multiple times. Since then, it's been reported that he's struggled to top 90 at times. 

In addition to Arraez, Sánchez faced Jake Burger, Bryan De La Cruz, Trey Mancini, Jon Berti, and Bennett Hostetler. Christian Bethancourt caught him.

Sixto last faced professional hitters during a Double-A rehab assignment with Pensacola on September 13, 2023. Before that, he hadn't faced live hitters in over two years.

While his outing on Wednesday represented a step in the right direction, it is still considered a long shot that Sánchez ever contributes at the big league level again. It's unclear if he will be pitching for the Marlins in any Grapefruit League games, which begin on Saturday. This next month in Jupiter is crucial for the 25-year-old because he is out of minor league options.