Blue Jays’ Aaron Sanchez appears poised to rebound in 2018

Toronto Blue Jays hurler Aaron Sanchez appears poised to rebound after receiving a clean bill of health for his nagging blister issues that derailed his 2017 campaign.

The Blue Jays received a positive prognosis last week as Aaron Sanchez began a successful throwing program as the 25-year old attempts to put last season behind him. Sanchez made only 8 starts in 2017 as he and the training staff were unable to keep a reoccurring blister issue on this throwing hand in check.

If the Blue Jays are going to return to “Beast in the East” status they will require a healthy Sanchez at the top of the rotation coupled with the likes of Marcus Stroman. The young tandem has the opportunity to be one of the best duos’ in all of baseball if they can both catch lightning in a bottle during the same season.

In 2016, Sanchez had his breakout season where he finished 7th in the AL Cy Young voting while Stroman sputtered and battled an inflated earned run average all season long. In 2017, there was a reversal of fortune as Stroman unlocked his potential finishing 8th in AL Cy Young voting and claiming his first Gold Glove honour while Sanchez essentially lost his entire season due to persistent blisters that prohibited his ability to pitch every fifth day.

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So with the blister issues behind him, Sanchez will look to be that X-factor once again for manager John Gibbons. If he can repeat his 2016 line of 15-2 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.167 WHIP, and 161 punch outs the Jays will be sitting pretty. The Jays rotation has the ability to be one of the best in the game if they are firing on all cylinders and depending on how management addresses that fifth and final spot.

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In what has been a very quiet offseason thus far, it is refreshing to receive some positive news on the Sanchez front and be reassured that we will be able to count on him once again in 2018.