{"id":261590,"date":"2026-05-23T01:33:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T16:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tenbizt.com\/en\/news\/uncategorized\/2026\/05\/23\/chasing-a-115-year-mlb-record-can-cristopher-sanchez-do-the-unthinkable\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T01:33:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T16:33:11","slug":"chasing-a-115-year-mlb-record-can-cristopher-sanchez-do-the-unthinkable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tenbizt.com\/en\/news\/sports\/2026\/05\/23\/chasing-a-115-year-mlb-record-can-cristopher-sanchez-do-the-unthinkable\/","title":{"rendered":"Chasing a 115-Year MLB Record: Can Cristopher S\u00e1nchez Do the Unthinkable?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Translation result\"Philadelphia\"<\/p>\n

[MyDaily = Reporter Kim Jin-seong] It\u2019s easy to see why South Korea couldn\u2019t make contact in the WBC quarterfinals.<\/p>\n

In March, South Korea fell 0-10 in a seven-inning mercy-rule loss to the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. The difference was Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher S\u00e1nchez, 30\u2014Korea\u2019s hitters simply couldn\u2019t touch him.<\/p>\n

\"Philadelphia\"<\/p>\n

S\u00e1nchez leans on a straightforward mix: a mid-90s four-seam fastball and a changeup. The repertoire is simple, but the movement is exceptional and he rarely leaves pitches elevated. He racks up strikes, and as the regular season has progressed his conditioning has improved, allowing him to work deeper into games. That profile has opposing clubs worried.<\/p>\n

This season S\u00e1nchez is 5-2 in 10 starts with a 1.82 ERA. Over 64\u2153 innings he\u2019s yielded a .251 batting average against and owns a 1.20 WHIP. He doesn\u2019t completely eliminate baserunners, but his ability to manage jams stands out. From the second inning of his May 1 start (Korean time) against the San Francisco Giants through his May 17 start against the Pittsburgh Pirates, S\u00e1nchez threw 29\u2154 consecutive scoreless innings. In three May starts (local time) he posted three wins and a 0.00 ERA.<\/p>\n

Shohei Ohtani lowered his season ERA to 0.73 on May 21 against the San Diego Padres, yet S\u00e1nchez\u2019s recent shutout run has an even stronger impact. MLB.com noted on the 21st that Grover Alexander\u2019s 41-inning scoreless streak by a left-hander in 1911 still stands. S\u00e1nchez is chasing a 115-year-old benchmark.<\/p>\n

S\u00e1nchez\u2019s 29\u2154 scoreless innings are the longest streak by a Philadelphia pitcher since the mound-to-plate distance was fixed at 18.44 meters in 1983. MLB.com highlighted his \u201csterling changeup,\u201d which has produced a .148 opponents\u2019 batting average and a 49% whiff rate, calling it the headline pitch and adding, \u201cHe\u2019s a true ace.\u201d<\/p>\n

When MLB.com updated its starting-pitcher rankings that day, it slotted S\u00e1nchez at No. 1. Jacob Misiorowski (Milwaukee Brewers) and Cam Schlitler (New York Yankees) were ranked second and third. Ohtani slipped to No. 4. He\u2019s having an outstanding season, but Misiorowski and Schlitler have also been very strong.<\/p>\n

\"Philadelphia\"<\/p>\n

MLB.com explained that Ohtani\u2019s drop to No. 4 has little to do with his own performance. Through his eighth start of the season he posted a 0.82 ERA\u2014the lowest among pitchers with at least 40 innings. Ohtani\u2019s opponents\u2019 batting average is just .159, helped in part by a deadly fastball\/sweeper combo. MLB.com pointed out that he\u2019s increased usage of those two pitches from 61.4% a year ago to 71.4% this season.<\/p>\n

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