From a $65,000 check as a teenager, to becoming one of the more important pieces to an MLB franchise, Cristopher Sanchez has made it to the big time.

You know how in sports, there are athletes who have the god-given ability to be one of the greats, but end up never putting it together?

For the longest time, Sanchez was one of those players.

The pitching coach for the Philadelphia Phillies, Caleb Cotham saw the vision. Every time he saw Sanchez take the hump, there was always a premier pitcher. He moved a different way, he carried himself like a pro, but the results weren’t adding up.

That is, until prior to the 2024 season where it all started to come together.

Yahoo Sports senior writer Jake Mintz did an in-depth piece on just how Sanchez took that next step. 

In order to take an active approach in his own development, Sanchez started to use his bullpen sessions as almost like a therapy session. Talking to himself in the third person and treating every time he takes the mound as if it were Game 7 of the World Series.

Not only that, he took an active approach to enhance his body, adding muscle in the weight room and adding speed to his fastball.

That fastball that he took the time to develop is currently one of the more effective fastballs in the majors. According to Baseball Savant, Sanchez ranks in the 94th percentile in Fastball Run Value.

But what’s more impressive, is that he’s in the 99th percentile in Offspeed Run Value.

“Over the last three, four years, there was a lot going on,” Cotham said. “Therre was a big step, a big rock back, his arms were going everywhere. Now it’s really compact. It’s direct to the plate, but it’s still his style, his rhythm.”

The 2024 season was the first season that Sanchez solidified himself as one of baseball’s upper-echelon pitchers. He made the All Star Game during his first year as a starter, pitched in important playoff games, and finished 10th in Cy Young voting.

As of this writing, he leads the National League in innings pitched with 189, and ranks in the 88th percentile in walk rate. Now he’s seventh in all of the majors with a 2.66 ERA, and he’s parlayed that into being the Game 1 starter for the Phillies upcoming playoff run.

“I’m always astounded by him,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “I always think about the first time I saw him, and it was trouble for him to throw a strike… He’s kind of evolved into this pitcher that has power and great poise and how tough he is.”

There’s definitely something to be said for Sanchez potentially being discussed as a Cy Young finalist. There are two pitchers that have a better ERA than him in Paul Skenes and Freddy Peralta, but Peralta’s ERA is just one point better than him.

Regardless, the rise of Sanchez becoming a top pitcher in the Major Leagues is nothing short of impressive, and this just may be the start of a long, prosperous career.