Yolbert Sánchez didn't play during the Charlotte Knights' 12-2 victory over the Gwinnett Stripers on Friday, but that gave him some time to soak up some adulation from MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis and Sam Dykstra.
In an article covering the best pure hitting prospect for each organization -- aka the hit tool, so power is a secondary concern -- Sánchez received the nod for the White Sox, even if it doesn't acknowledge his promotion to Triple-A.
A teammate of Luis Robert on a Cuban 18-and-under squad before he defected, Sanchez has exceeded offensive expectations since signing for $2.5 million in July 2019. His compact right-handed swing and contact-oriented approach yielded a .308 average in 2021, including a .342 mark following a late-July promotion to Double-A, and he's presently pacing the Double-A Southern League in hitting (.353) and on-base percentage (.507).
Charlotte 12, Gwinnett 2
- Adam Haseley went 2-for-5.
- Yoán Moncada returned to the lineup as a third baseman and went 3-for-3 with a homer, double and a walk.
- Yemrín Mercedes was 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Carlos Pérez, 1-for-4.
- Davis Martin logged a successful Triple-A debut: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR.
- Joe Kelly: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Notes:
*Martin threw a fastball (91-96), curve, slider and changeup. He threw seven straight out of the zone in the first inning, but then he settled down to retire 11 in a row. The first homer came on a changeup, the other a slider.
Tennessee 9, Birmingham 5
- Lenyn Sosa went 3-for-5.
- José Rodríguez needed this: 3-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.
Notes:
*Yoelqui Céspedes hasn't played in either of the last two games after exiting on a popout after which he didn't run, so maybe he was lifted for other reasons.
