Giant Opportunity: San Francisco's Jonathan Sanchez Off to Hot Start in 2008

Before the 2007 season, Giants LHP Jonathan Sanchez was tabbed By Baseball America as the second best prospect in San Francisco's minor league pipeline and named 2006 Organizational Player of the Year by USA Today. 

During 2006 and 2007, which included stints in the majors as both a starter and reliever, Sanchez logged a pedestrian 4-6 record with an ERA well over 5.00 and accumulated a WHIP ratio of over 1.50. 

Only his 95 strikeouts in 92 innings of work belied his true potential.

Sanchez was drafted in 2004 out of Ohio Dominican University, where he racked up four no-hitters and set records for strikeouts in a game (16), season (105), and career (311). 

He spent the better part of two seasons in the minors before being called up to the big leagues in mid-2006, where he struggled at times to find his control (23 walks in 40 innings).  A nagging rib injury limited his production last year as well, leaving his future as a starter in limbo. 

By default, Sanchez slid into the fifth spot in the rotation with Noah Lowry and Kevin Correia on the disabled list to start the season. Stumbling through his first start at Milwaukee, he was shelled for seven earned runs in four innings of work.

Just when things looked bleak—in a contract year, no less—Sanchez turned things around.  

His next start, against San Diego on April 9, yielded this stat line: 6 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 10 K. 

Blind squirrel theory, right? 

Maybe not. 

Since that K-fest against the Brewers, the fireballing lefty has thrown 23 2/3 innings, given up six earned runs, struck out 22, including another 10-K outing in eight innings against the Reds last week, and walked only twelve. 

More importantly, the Giants have won all four of those starts. 

Let's face it:  if the Giants stand any chance of winning this year, they will have to do it with pitching and defense. 

When a team is forced to win that way, it never hurts to rely on a fifth starter like Sanchez who somehow manages make opposing hitters look like thirteen year-old boys at a Victoria's Secret fashion show—a lot of staring but not much hitting.

No team would complain about a starter with a deceptive splitter and a low to mid-90's fastball that runs away from right-handed hitters like it stole something.  

With uber-prospects Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain anchoring the front end of the rotation, the mound at AT&T Park looks to be in good hands for the foreseeable future.  

For Sanchez, there are bound to be some bumps in the road, just as there are with all 24-year-old pitchers. 

If he continues to carve up hitters with his fastball and manages to keep his off-speed stuff in the same area code as home plate, Eli Manning and company may not be the only Giants shocking the world this year.