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Beware the small sample size in the beginning stages of the baseball season.
Take Phillies’ starter Cristopher Sanchez.
The southpaw’s ERA sits at a bloated 4.09, but he’s pitched much better than that when you take a look under the hood.
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In 11 innings in 2025, Sanchez has struck out 16 batters while walking just two.
He’s done a solid job of limiting hits as well, giving up fewer than one an inning (10).
So, how has he given up his runs? A few unlucky home runs.
Sanchez has allowed three long balls already this season, although that rate is almost assuredly coming down.
His 33.3 percent HR/FB ratio is unsustainably high, especially for a pitcher who allowed just 0.54 homers per nine innings last season.
Let’s take advantage of this probable bounce-back on Saturday when Sanchez takes the mound against the Cardinals.
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Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
