CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Cristopher Sánchez wears No. 61, which is a number typically assigned to prospects or journeymen in the spring.

Players often switch to lower numbers once they make it.

Sánchez, 27, is no longer a Phillies prospect, but he is still wearing No. 61, despite establishing himself as the team’s No. 5 starter. Sánchez is a reason why the Phillies think they should have one of baseball’s best rotations again, and why they did not feel pressured in the offseason to throw wads of cash at Blake Snell, who recently signed with the Giants, and Jordan Montgomery, who remains a free agent with Opening Day only a week away.

Sánchez sees a responsibility to meet those increased expectations, he said during Thursday’s 6-5 loss to the Rays in a Grapefruit League game at BayCare Ballpark.

“Always,” he said through the team’s interpreter. “I always try to compete with myself because I can always be better. There’s always things to improve.”

Sánchez allowed six hits, three runs, one walk and one home run in three-plus innings on Thursday. He struck out two. He has an 8.59 ERA in three Grapefruit League starts, which would be cause for concern if he was competing for a job, but he is not.

He went 3-5 with a 3.44 ERA in 19 appearances (18 starts) last season. He threw one of baseball’s best changeups. Opponents batted .148 with a .274 slugging percentage against it. His changeup’s whiff rate (43.0 percent) ranked fifth among pitchers who got at least 250 swings on the pitch.

Still, Sánchez felt like he needed to come to camp with something new. He added a cutter to his arsenal, which he hopes will help him against right-handed hitters. He also showed up with 10 pounds of new muscle.

The added strength has improved his velocity. Sánchez’s sinker on Thursday averaged 94.4 mph, up from 92.1 mph last year. Of his tracked pitches this spring, he has thrown 95.0 mph or harder 13 times. He threw harder than 94.5 mph only once last season. He never touched 95.0 mph.

He hopes the extra juice makes his changeup even better.

But can he keep controlling his pitches? Sánchez was a strike-throwing machine last year. He had one of baseball’s best walk rates (4 percent), which kept him out of trouble. He missed a few pitches on Thursday. His changeup also had some cut to it, which he said is a byproduct of his cutter. He said he will fix it.

Sánchez will make one more start before he pitches for the Phillies in the fifth game of the season on April 2 against Cincinnati. He could pitch in Philadelphia in a simulated game or stay in Florida, then join the team for Opening Day.

“I’m ready to compete,” Sánchez said.

He will be competing as No. 61, too.

“I debuted with that number, and I want it to remain my number the rest of my career,” he said.

Rojas impresses

Johan Rojas has had a rough spring statistically, but Thursday he went 1-for-3 with a run-scoring single in the sixth.

Rojas is trying to lock up the job as the Phillies’ Opening Day center fielder. He is batting .167 with a .455 OPS, but the Phillies have told him not to concern himself with his numbers. They want him to focus on his mechanical adjustments and approach.

“He’s getting pretty consistent with [his swing],” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “He’s making some hard contact. He’s another guy that’s starting to make pretty good decisions at the plate.”

Extra bases

• Weston Wilson got hit by a pitch in the left hand in the third inning. He left the game. An initial scan was negative, but he needed to get x-rays.

• Right-hander Orion Kerkering will make another appearance at Carpenter Complex on Saturday. He might not be ready to make the Opening Day roster. He hasn’t pitched in a Grapefruit League game since March 1 because of an illness.

• Kody Clemens went 2-for-4 with a home run on Thursday. He has a 1.244 OPS this spring. “He can play almost anywhere on the infield, and he can go out in the outfield and hold down a position for a day or two,” Thomson said. “His at-bats have been great. His strike zone awareness is excellent. His decision making is excellent. He’s a baseball player.”