Scouting Report: Sixto Sánchez

Summary

Cristopher Sánchez is a Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher who has emerged as an early-season ace and Cy Young contender in 2026. Through nine starts, he leads the National League with 2.6 bWAR. His standout feature is his exceptional changeup, which has the highest annual run value among all MLB pitches over the previous four seasons. Sánchez relies on just three pitches (changeup, sinker, slider) and has thrown 364 changeups with only 16 hits allowed on them. He has demonstrated the ability to pitch deep into games, throwing 7-8 innings in consecutive starts and reaching a season-high 103 pitches. In his most recent start against the Colorado Rockies, he threw seven innings. Against the Athletics, he struck out 10 over eight scoreless innings on three hits and one walk, earning Player of the Day honors and rising to fifth in season rankings with 6.0 Box-Toppers points.