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Chicago White Sox: Yolmer Sanchez quietly making noise

By Kristen Bentley

KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 27: Yolmer Sanchez #5 of the Chicago White Sox watches his team from the dugout in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on April 27, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - APRIL 27: Yolmer Sanchez #5 of the Chicago White Sox watches his team from the dugout in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on April 27, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /
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The White Sox and the AL Central as a whole do not have much to cheer about this season.

The division is home to three teams involved in rebuilds, including the White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and Kansas City Royals.

Four of the five teams have records below .500, which is the most of any division in the MLB.

Despite the poor records, there have been a few bright spots in the AL Central and Yolmer Sanchez has quietly been one of them.

In an article by Jason Beck with MLB.com, Sanchez and four other AL Central players were featured as unsung heroes in this disappointing division. Beck also showcased pitchers Mike Clevinger and Brad Keller as well as outfielder JaCoby Jones and infielder Eduardo Escobar.

CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 05: Yolmer Sanchez #5 of the Chicago White Sox slides into third base after hitting his second run scoring triple in the 5th inning against the Detroit Tigers during the Opening Day home game at Guaranteed Rate Field on April 5, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 05: Yolmer Sanchez #5 of the Chicago White Sox slides into third base after hitting his second run scoring triple in the 5th inning against the Detroit Tigers during the Opening Day home game at Guaranteed Rate Field on April 5, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Sanchez has been one of the most consistent – if not THE most consistent – players in the month of May. He has recorded at least one hit in every game this month. Yet, he has gone relatively unnoticed by national writers who often focus on streaks like Sanchez’s.

Sanchez should be noticed. His batting stats are outstanding: .302/.338/.452. While he is not a power hitter (he only has one home run), he is leading the AL in triples with four. But, it is difficult to get noticed when you share the field with sluggers like Matt Davidson, Jose Abreu, and Tim Anderson. Especially in a league where home runs make the highlight reels.

Sanchez has another problem that keeps him from the highlight reels. He’s 25 years old. While this may not sound like a problem, in today’s MLB, it is. National writers have been focused on younger players like Sanchez’s teammate, Yoan Moncada (22). And, don’t forget about younger phenoms like Ozzie Albies (21), Gleybar Torres (21), and Ronald Acuna Jr (20).

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While Sanchez is on the squad and not a free agent until 2022, he doesn’t bring the same hope as someone like Eloy Jimenez or Michael Kopech. But, he should. At age 25, Sanchez is not only an asset on offense, but he is a strong defender, too. Randy Renteria usually pencils him in at 3rd base, but he can play the middle infield positions, too. This flexibility makes him practically indispensable to the team.

In his article on MLB.com, Beck quoted Renteria on Sanchez:

"“He took on this responsibility of being kind of the guy that was going to show everybody how to get about going out there and giving it everything he’s got every single day, and he does. His personality and his work ethic and his routines, everything, we are really happy to have him.”"

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Even though the Sox record is one of the worst in the MLB, Sanchez has been one player worth the price of admission. He has been playing like an All-Star and should be noticed for his ability to get on base and score runs.

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