Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Sunday that Gary Sanchez will be the team’s starting catcher when Gerrit Cole takes the mound on Opening Day.
The question on who will start arose from Kyle Higashioka starting in Cole’s latest spring tune-up on Sunday instead of Sanchez. But Boone said it was just the way the schedule worked out that the Yanks’ backup got the nod.
“I would expect Gary to be behind there on Opening Day,” Boone said via Zoom.
Cole preferred Higashioka when he got the ball last season and that trickled over into the postseason, too, when Sanchez wouldn’t be in the lineup in those scenarios.
But Sanchez has been working hard in spring training and the results have shown in both areas at the plate. His bat is certainly working again, totaling a few homers thus far in spring. And good offensive success has led to solid days catching for New York, too, especially when runners try to test Sanchez’s arm stealing.
The Yankees always had Sanchez in their plans to start this year and he’s been proving them right this spring. They’ll hope it moves over to the regular season, and maybe Cole can have a better relationship with Sanchez behind the plate, too.