Gary Sanchez Sets Yankees Franchise Record with 8 Home Runs in 1st 19 Games

The New York Yankees lost Monday’s game against the Seattle Mariners, 7-5, but not before rookie catcher Gary Sanchez made history.

Sanchez drilled a solo home run in the first inning and a two-run shot in the sixth to give him eight for the season. According to Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com, Sanchez’s eight homers in his first 19 games have made him “the first player in the franchise’s history to hit so many long balls so quickly.”

The Yankees newcomer has tasted success early in his big league career. Earlier Monday, the 23-year-old was named the American League Player of the Week, “becoming the first Yankees catcher to win the honor since Thurman Munson in 1976,” per Marchand. In addition to serving as the everyday catcher for one of the most storied franchises in all of sports, he’s been hitting third in New York’s lineup.

Sanchez isn’t just hitting for power, either. His batting average sat at a sparkling .361 coming into Monday’s game, and he helped his cause with three hits in four at-bats against Seattle.

Sanchez has been a bright spot for a Yankees squad that is in a disappointing fourth place in the AL East. While this is not yet a lost season for the team, which was still within five games of a wild-card spot after Monday's loss, New York doesn’t look primed to win the World Series this year unless it can turn things around quickly.

Sanchez represents a building block for the future as the team looks to establish a new dynasty moving forward after winning four World Series titles from 1996 to 2000 and another in 2009.

The Yankees also have a pair of promising 24-year-olds, outfielder Aaron Judge and first baseman Tyler Austin, alongside Sanchez. Judge and Austin each homered in their first big league at-bats against the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 13, and they did so in back-to-back fashion.

The fabled Yankees aren’t atop the standings this season, but Sanchez and Co. represent a bright future. The catcher is already setting records in his first season at the major league level.