Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez took over the ace role while Zack Wheeler was sidelined last season. He became the lead horse and finished second in NL Cy Young voting with his deadly changeup, one of the best weapons in baseball. Sánchez came into spring training this year with even loftier expectations, and that same changeup that won him Cy Young votes looks even nastier after his first start of 2026.
Sánchez debuted in spring training against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday and threw two innings. He allowed two hits while striking out four batters on 32 pitches, 22 of which were strikes.
His world-class changeup was at it again. Sanchez sat around 86.6 mph on his changeup velocity and threw it seven times. All seven changeups he threw registered swings and misses, for a 100 percent whiff rate. That's quite the output even after one spring start.
All 4Ks from Sanchie's first start 🔥 pic.twitter.com/V8ps7047mD
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 28, 2026
Cristopher Sánchez's world-class changeup on display for Phillies in first spring training start
A perfect whiff rate isn't a realistic goal, considering Sánchez threw it 46 percent of the time in 2025. It may not be attainable, but it could get even nastier than last season.
The changeup still plays, in case you were wondering 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/RjEB0CIXKA
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 28, 2026
Calling it one of the best pitches in baseball is being modest. According to Statcast, in 2025, his changeup had a 45.1 percent whiff rate, the third best for the pitch. It's also the second best among starting pitchers, just behind back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
It's accurate to think that Sánchez's changeup is a cheat code, and that's because it's proven to be that after last year and Saturday. It's what propelled him to his stellar career-defining 2025 season. He finished with a career-high 202 innings pitched. He posted a 13-5 record, 2.50 ERA, 212 strikeouts, and an MLB-leading 8.0 bWAR in 2025.
Sánchez is leaving for the World Baseball Classic, so it will be his last spring training start for a few weeks. Phillies fans will just have to tune in to watch the star lefty play for Team Dominican Republic. Phillies stars like Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber could possibly face Sánchez in the tournament and face that same nasty changeup that's already in mid-season form.