Hector Sanchez, Catcher


Date of Birth: 11/17/1989
Birthplace: Maracay, Venezuela

Hector Sanchez, catcher, first signed with the San Francisco Giants in July, 2006. The following year, he started playing in their minor league system. In 2011, he joined the Giants for 13 games.

Sanchez became the backup catcher to Buster Posey in 2012. That season, he batted .280 with 61 hits, 15 doubles, and 34 RBIs in 74 games. In 2013, he batted .248 in 63 games.

As Posey's backup in 2014, Sanchez had limited playing time. He had 32 hits and a .196 batting average in 66 games. He didn't play at all in the postseason. In 2015, he split his time between the Giants and the minor leagues, playing in 28 games with the Giants and 37 games in the minors.

Sanchez signed with the Chicago White Sox on December 18, 2015. He was designated for assignment on May 9, 2016. Two days later, he was claimed off waivers by the Padres. He finished the 2016 season with a .265 batting average in 2 games with the White Sox and 26 games with the Padres.

Sanchez became a free agent on December 2, 2016. He signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres on December 4th. He played in 75 games with the Padres in 2017. He finished the season with a .219 batting average. Defensively, he played 6 games at first base and 25 games as a catcher.

Sanchez elected free agency on November 6, 2017. He rejoined the Giants on a minor league contract on January 5, 2018. After playing 24 games in the minors and spending time on the DL in 2018, he was released on May 28th.

Sanchez signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers on January 21, 2019. He was released on March 28, 2019. He played in the independent Atlantic League in 2019.

Sanchez didn't play professional baseball in 2020. He played in the independent Atlantic League and the Venezuelan Winter League in 2021.

Sanchez signed with a team in the independent American Association for the 2022 season.

Career batting statistics for Sanchez through 2018 include:

  • 347 games played
  • 186 hits
  • 120 RBIs
  • 207 strikeouts to 34 walks
  • .238 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Sanchez as a catcher through 2018 include:

  • 200 games played
  • 86 assists
  • 1,162 putouts
  • 15 errors
  • .248 caught stealing percentage
  • .988 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Hector Sanchez
ESPN - Hector Sanchez