# Aaron Sanchez (baseball)
**Aaron Jacob Sanchez** (born 1992 in [Barstow, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/barstow-california)) is an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher who won the American League ERA title with the [Toronto Blue Jays](https://www.edgepedia.org/toronto-blue-jays) in 2016 and has since pitched for Houston, San Francisco, Washington, and Minnesota, returning to organized baseball in 2025 after more than a year away.[1](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchaa01.shtml) • [2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) His career, marked by an elite 2016 season and a long struggle with finger injuries, has spanned more than a decade and, as of 2026, includes a comeback in the [Kansas City Royals](https://www.edgepedia.org/kansas-city-royals)' minor league system.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) • [3](https://img.mlbstatic.com/milb-images/image/upload/milb/nwclgebjxblulrmdu9bv.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / physical | 1992, Barstow, CA; 6 ft 4 in, 212 lb; bats and throws right[1](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchaa01.shtml) |
| Draft | Toronto Blue Jays, 1st round (34th overall, supplemental), 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft, from Barstow High School[1](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchaa01.shtml) |
| MLB debut | July 23, 2014, at age 22, with Toronto[1](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchaa01.shtml) |
| Signature season | 2016: 15-2, AL-leading 3.00 ERA, 192.0 innings, 161 strikeouts, AL All-Star[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) • [4](https://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/canadian-baseball-network-articles/2016-blue-jays-season-review-aaron-sanchez) |
| Defining injury | Recurring blisters and finger problems on the right middle finger beginning in 2017, limiting him to 36 innings that year[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) • [5](https://www.mlb.com/news/blue-jays-pitcher-aaron-sanchez-done-for-year-c253592292) |
| Career MLB line | 38-38, 4.16 ERA, 174 games, 113 starts, 685.0 innings, 541 strikeouts, 1.38 WHIP[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) |
| Nickname | "Sanchize"[1](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchaa01.shtml) |
## Early life and draft
Sanchez was born in Barstow, California, and attended Barstow High School, where the Blue Jays selected him with the 34th overall pick, a supplemental first-round choice, in the 2010 draft.[1](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchaa01.shtml) • [6](https://www.mlb.com/news/before-aaron-sanchez-was-postseason-bound-c204760282) Baseball runs in his family: his stepfather, Mike Shipley, was drafted in the fourth round of the 1976 MLB Draft by the Angels.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) After his debut and successful first season, the Barstow City Council declared October 20, 2014, to be "Aaron Sanchez Day."
In the minors he was a Midwest League Mid-Season All-Star with the Lansing Lugnuts in 2012 and named to the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars team in 2013 after posting a 1.16 ERA over six starts for Salt River.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717)
## Toronto years (2014–2019)
**Debut and 2015 bullpen role.** Sanchez reached the majors on July 23, 2014, working 2.0 innings against Boston, and finished the season with a 1.09 ERA in 24 relief appearances, earning three saves.[1](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchaa01.shtml) • [2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) In 2015 he began in the rotation, went on the disabled list in June with a right lat strain, and moved to the bullpen on his return, posting a 2.39 ERA in relief.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) That October he became the youngest pitcher in Blue Jays history to record a playoff win, taking the victory in Game 5 of the AL Division Series against Texas, and he did not allow an earned run in 7.1 postseason innings.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) • [7](https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Aaron_Sanchez)
**The 2016 season.** Moved into the rotation for his first full season as a starter, Sanchez went 15-2 with a 3.00 ERA, the lowest in the [American League](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-league), over 30 starts and 192.0 innings with 161 strikeouts and a 1.17 WHIP.[4](https://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/canadian-baseball-network-articles/2016-blue-jays-season-review-aaron-sanchez) • [8](https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/blue-jays-in-2016-when-aaron-sanchez-pitched) His .882 winning percentage was the highest in baseball and the best by a Toronto starter in club history.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) At 24 years, 93 days at season's end, he was the youngest pitcher to lead his league in ERA since [Clayton Kershaw](https://www.edgepedia.org/clayton-kershaw) in 2011, and he became the fifth different Blue Jays pitcher to win an ERA title, joining [Roger Clemens](https://www.edgepedia.org/roger-clemens), Dave Stieb, Juan Guzman, and Jimmy Key.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) • [9](https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/mlb/gr3imjdwmbbjiyqgs84r.pdf) He was named to the AL All-Star team as a replacement for Craig Kimbrel, finished seventh in Cy Young voting, and led the AL in opponents' OPS (.625) and slugging percentage (.335).[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) • [10](https://as.com/us/us/2017/02/25/mlb/1488041224_730385.html) His pitching style was built on ground balls: a 54.4% ground-ball rate, third best in the AL, rising to 61.0% against right-handed hitters, the highest in baseball.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717)
**Injury and decline.** The innings jump from roughly 90 to 192 was followed by a collapse. In 2017 Sanchez made four separate stints on the disabled list, all involving his right middle finger: a blister, a split fingernail, a laceration, and a September diagnosis of a pulley ligament issue.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) He pitched a career-low eight games and 36.0 innings with a 4.25 ERA, and the club announced in September that he would not pitch again that season because the blister reappeared quickly after every throwing session.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) • [5](https://www.mlb.com/news/blue-jays-pitcher-aaron-sanchez-done-for-year-c253592292) He later said the blister affected his curveball and that the lost repetition disrupted his mechanics.[11](https://www.mlb.com/news/aaron-sanchez-satisfied-with-spring-training) In 2018 he made 20 starts, going 4-6 with a 4.89 ERA, and in 2019 he opened with 23 starts for Toronto at a 6.07 ERA.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717)
## Houston, the Giants, and journeyman seasons (2019–2022)
On July 31, 2019, Toronto traded Sanchez with right-hander Joe Biagini and outfielder Cal Stevenson to Houston for outfielder [Derek Fisher](https://www.edgepedia.org/derek-fisher).[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) His Astros tenure included a no-hitter, and MLB's own archive of Astros no-hitters since 2019 lists him among them.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) He made four starts for Houston and did not appear in their postseason run.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717)
Sanchez missed all of 2020 recovering from surgery to repair a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder, an injury suffered in September 2019.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) He signed with San Francisco before the 2021 season and was effective in a limited role, recording a 3.06 ERA over 35.1 innings in nine games (seven starts) before an Injured List stint in May.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) • [12](https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/aaron-sanchez-592717) In 2022 he signed with Washington as a minor league free agent, made seven starts for the Nationals at an 8.33 ERA, then finished the season with Minnesota, primarily in long relief at a 4.94 ERA.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717)
## Later career and comeback
Sanchez spent 2023 in Triple-A with St. Paul (Minnesota's affiliate) and Reno (Arizona's), going a combined 4-5 with a 5.54 ERA, and 2024 with Triple-A Buffalo, where he struggled to a 7.92 ERA in 14 starts.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) After more than a full calendar year away from baseball, he returned in 2025 with eight starts for Toros del Este in the Dominican Winter League, going 4-2 with a 1.55 ERA, 34 strikeouts against nine walks, and winning the Dominican Winter League Cy Young Award; all eight starts lasted at least five innings and he never allowed more than two earned runs in a start.[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717) • [13](https://www.mlb.com/es/player/aaron-sanchez-592717)
The comeback carried into 2026 with the Kansas City Royals organization: assigned to the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers, he made his first start for the club in March 2026, working as a sinker-first pitcher (40.3% sinkers at 90.8 mph, 28.4% curveball), and was named International League Pitcher of the Week on May 10, 2026.[3](https://img.mlbstatic.com/milb-images/image/upload/milb/nwclgebjxblulrmdu9bv.pdf) • [13](https://www.mlb.com/es/player/aaron-sanchez-592717)
## Pitching profile
Sanchez's 2016 peak rested on a heavy sinker and curveball combination that produced ground balls at elite rates, though he walked batters at above-average rates; in 2016 his 3.20 BB/9 ranked 69th among the 103 qualified starters while his 58.1% ground-ball rate ranked sixth.[14](https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2016/5/26/11782188/definable-qualities-finding-aaron-sanchezs-comparables) By 2021 his pitch mix had shifted to a near-even split of curveball (30.6%), sinker (30.3%), changeup (20%), and four-seam fastball (19.2%).[2](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717)
## References
1. [Aaron Sanchez Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More, Baseball-Reference](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchaa01.shtml)
2. [Aaron Sanchez Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/player/aaron-sanchez-592717)
3. [Omaha Storm Chasers game notes (2026), MiLB](https://img.mlbstatic.com/milb-images/image/upload/milb/nwclgebjxblulrmdu9bv.pdf)
4. [2016 Blue Jays Season Review: Aaron Sanchez, Canadian Baseball Network](https://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/canadian-baseball-network-articles/2016-blue-jays-season-review-aaron-sanchez)
5. [Blue Jays pitcher Aaron Sanchez done for year, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/news/blue-jays-pitcher-aaron-sanchez-done-for-year-c253592292)
6. [Before Aaron Sanchez was postseason-bound, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/news/before-aaron-sanchez-was-postseason-bound-c204760282)
7. [Aaron Sanchez, BR Bullpen, Baseball-Reference](https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Aaron_Sanchez)
8. [Blue Jays in 2016 when Aaron Sanchez pitched, StatMuse](https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/blue-jays-in-2016-when-aaron-sanchez-pitched)
9. [MLB media guide biographies (2016 AL ERA leaders)](https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/mlb/gr3imjdwmbbjiyqgs84r.pdf)
10. [Cinco jugadores clave a seguir en la AL Este de la MLB para 2017, AS](https://as.com/us/us/2017/02/25/mlb/1488041224_730385.html)
11. [Aaron Sanchez satisfied with Spring Training, MLB.com](https://www.mlb.com/news/aaron-sanchez-satisfied-with-spring-training)
12. [Aaron Sanchez Statcast, Visuals & Advanced Metrics, Baseball Savant](https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/aaron-sanchez-592717)
13. [Aaron Sanchez Estadísticas, Lasmayores.com (MLB.com en español)](https://www.mlb.com/es/player/aaron-sanchez-592717)
14. [Definable Qualities: Finding Aaron Sanchez's Comparables, Bluebird Banter](https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2016/5/26/11782188/definable-qualities-finding-aaron-sanchezs-comparables)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Baseball and related bat sports › Professional baseball in the Americas › MLB players and personnel biographies › Starting pitchers › Starters debuting 2000–2015*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license