Rule 5 Draft Prospect Profile: Lolo Sanchez
Over the last several seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates have had a history of developing good outfielders in their Minor League system. It all started with the emergence of Nate McLouth during the 2008 season, and every year since the Pirates have had an all-star caliber player in centerfield that was developed through the farm system. After McLouth, Andrew McCutchen took over and manned the position for nine seasons. Starling Marte followed him and now Bryan Reynolds is the next up and coming outfielder from the Pirates system. The Bucs are hoping that trend continues, and one of those development projects is Minor League outfielder and #23 overall prospect Lolo Sanchez.
Sanchez is a 21-year-old speedster from the Dominican Republic who has been in the Pirates organization for the past five years. He signed with the Pirates at just 17-years-old and has been using his speed to help his defensive game and give him more value on the basepaths. While his batting average has left little to be desired throughout his career, he has plenty of plate discipline and knows how to work his way on base on a consistent basis. He is already a star with the glove in the field, and if the bat can come around he could be a star in the Big Leagues. For the Pirates, it may be time to protect the outfielder in the Minor League portion of the Rule 5 Draft.
Speedy Outfielder With Some Defense
Lolo Sanchez impressed the Pirates from the moment they saw him glide around the outfield. They signed the then 16-year old prior to the 2015 season and began him with the Dominican Summer League Pirates that season. His offense took some time to adapt to the professional baseball environment, as he appeared in 45 games and batted .235 with 10 RBI in 153 at-bats. While he wasn't picking up a lot of hits, he used his player discipline to get on base and use his speed effectively. He took his chances in spurts, but when he did go he was effective stealing four bases in eight chances. He was playing against guys who were two to three years older than him and this played a factor in his limited chances.
His .983 fielding percentage in his first season is what helped move him to the states. He was a part of the Gulf Coast League Pirates during the 2017 season and saw his offensive stats go up significantly. He ended up hitting .286 with the GCL Pirates with four home runs and 20 RBI. Despite the fact that he was getting more hits, his walk numbers went down as his on-base percentage stayed at .359. He got riskier on the basepaths and he reaped the benefits stealing 14 bases in 21 chances. He also started using the gaps to his advantage and had 11 doubles and two triples in his 51 games played. His defense shined even more as he did not post an error during the season and cemented himself as a defensive star in the outfield.
He made the jump to full-season baseball in 2018, competing with the West Virginia Black Bears. His offense again fell behind as his batting average dropped to .243 while hitting four home runs and driving in a career-high 34 RBI. It was the year that he broke out on the basepaths nabbing 30 bases in 43 opportunities for a 69.8 stolen base percentage. His defensive play went down as he had a .973 fielding percentage playing mostly in centerfield. He went to the Dominican Summer League to continue improving his skills and earned a promotion to Class Low-A West Virginia.
2019, was Sanchez's best offensive season yet as he hit .301 with four home runs and 26 RBI. He was a singles machine and turned singles into doubles using his legs on the base paths. He went 20 for 30 in stolen base attempts that season and had a career-high on-base percentage of .377. He advanced to Advanced-A Bradenton for the final half of the season and his offense went completely downhill. He wasn't getting on base as consistently as he had in Low-A, hitting .196 in 51 games. He was used as a pinch-runner several times and used his speed to take 13 of 18 bases for a total of 33 stolen bases that year. Sanchez continued his climb in 2020 when he spent the season with the satellite camp. In 2021, he is looking to make the jump to Double-A and show that he can raise his top 30 prospect status.
Protect At the Lower Level
Sanchez is the Pirate's second-highest prospect available in the Rule 5 Draft this season. However, his age makes him not as attractive to a Major League team. However, he could be in trouble for the Minor League Rule 5 draft if he is not protected. His defense is his most attractive offer as he can cover most ground at every outfield in professional baseball. His speed ranks as 73 which is almost in the top 25% in professional baseball. Sanchez would have to be placed on the Triple-A 38-Man Roster if the Pirates want to keep him in their Minor League system.
This is Sanchez's first year of eligibility in the Rule 5 Draft which has me concerned as to whether or not he will get taken. He along with Travis Swaggerty and O'neil Cruz look like a good projected future Pirates outfield. If that is the case, the Pirates need to work to protect Sanchez and continue his development in the upper levels of the Minor Leagues. Sanchez still has a lot to prove before he can make it to the Major Leagues, but his defensive ability is undeniably good. If he can raise his batting average to match his plate discipline numbers, he could be a nice asset at the top of the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup of the future.
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