The 32-year-old backstop finally got the O’s on the board in the fifth inning as he launched a solo homer off of star left-hander Tarik Skubal. That would be his only hit in two at-bats on the night. Sánchez should see regular action against left-handed pitching for the Orioles in 2025, which could give him some utility from a fantasy perspective in deeper formats that rely on two catchers. He’s hitting just .161 (5-for-31) with one homer and one RBI on the spring.

Sánchez will serve as the backup catcher to Adley Rutschman, but, as Elias noted, “He’s also a really good hitter for a catcher, especially against left-handed pitching.” While Sánchez’s career .214 average against lefties is not that impressive, his .787 OPS, .261 ISO, and 22.4 percent HR/FB ratio speak to his power production against them. As a result, the Orioles figure to get him regular playing time against left-handed pitchers with Elias saying “We’ll see him DHing some games if he’s not catching.” Considering Rutschman hit lefties extremely well last season, we’d expect most of Sánchez’s at-bats to come as a DH against lefties.

The Orioles wanted to upgrade from free agent James McCann as their backup catcher, particularly since Adley Rutschman has been so much more productive as a DH than he has been while behind the plate. Rutschman will still do the bulk of the catching, of course, but Sánchez will add some more offense and can hold down the fort as a starting catcher if Rutschman ever goes down.