The Subtle Tweak Turning Jesús Sánchez Into a Blue Jays Weapon
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While the Toronto Blue Jays are struggling as a team, sitting at 12-15 and in fourth place in a tough AL East, one player who has been a quiet surprise for the club is Jesús Sánchez.
Acquired from the Houston Astros back in February for Joey Loperfido, Sánchez is batting .263/.318/.421 with a 107 wRC+ (100 is league average) on the season. His two-run homer in the sixth inning of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Guardians broke the 2-2 tie, and ended up lifting the Jays to victory.
There are a number of factors that are contributing to his success this season, like his return to his old batting stance with the Miami Marlins, but he has also been slowing down his swing a bit, according to the data, and it looks to be having a major impact.
Sánchez's Bat Speed is Down This Season
Last October, the Jays' bat speed was a huge talking point in the postseason and was pointed to as a reason that the team was having success.
This year Sánchez is swinging slower than he ever has in the bat tracking era (since 2023), and it's hard to argue with the results. This year, his bat speed is barely above league average, sitting in the 56th percentile with a speed of 72.3 mph. In 2025, that speed was up to 75.9 mph, which ranked in the 93rd percentile.
He had ranked in the 80th percentile or above in each year that bat speed has been tracked, but this year, he's slowing things down.
The result has been an expected batting average (xBA) of .322 based on the quality of contact he's making, a slightly higher launch angle at 10.7 degrees, meaning fewer ground balls, and more line drives.
He has upped his line drive rate from 17% to 25.8% this season, and made a dent in his high ground ball rate, dropping it from 47.4% to 41.9%. He's also pulling the ball a little less, but using the whole field more often, going to the opposite field 30.6% this season, up nearly 8% over last year.
In Sunday's game, he swung hard in the third inning, generating a bat speed of 78.4 mph. That's high quality bat speed, and it led to a 106.8 mph exit velocity—at a six-degree launch angle. This was converted into an out.
His home run in the sixth that ended up winning the game? His bat speed was 69.2 mph and it left the bat at 98.1 mph, but it had a 26 degree launch angle, so it flew over the fence.
For Sánchez, less has been more this season, and it's hard to argue with the results.
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Jason has been covering baseball for 15 years and aims for timely stories that resonate with fans. He tends to skew more towards analysis and roster construction, but is always on the lookout for new trends in the stat line. Jason is excited to cover the Toronto Blue Jays for On SI.