5 Yankees responsible for the team’s sluggish start

4. Gary Sanchez

Even after the acquisition of Giancarlo Stanton’s, there was a lot of noise around the Yankees clubhouse claiming Gary Sanchez was still the club’s purest hitter. That noise has been completely silenced by the catcher’s slow start.

Sanchez is only hitting a measly .182 from the plate to start the campaign. Even more worrisome is his lack of contact. He’s already struck out 14 times in just 66 at bats on the young season.

Unlike Walker, there’s little long-term concern in Sanchez’s start. It would be a significant surprise if his performance doesn’t experience a sharp uptick soon. He may not emerge as the Yankees’ best hitter of the season, but barring injury he’ll finish the year with solid production.

The real question is whether or not solid production is good enough for a player with Sanchez’s talent. Yankee fans have every right to expect more from him. Given his struggles behind the plate, he’s going to have to get hot with the bat to provide the team with All-Star production.