Héctor Sánchez #44

He and his wife, Elizabeth, have one son, Dylan. Signed with the Giants as a 16-year-old free agent in 2007. Left school after the ninth grade to attend a baseball academy in Venezuela, where he stayed for two years.

2017

2017 marked the 28-year-old's first Opening Day roster in a Padres uniform, staying with the big league club for the duration of the season besides two brief rehab assignments with triple-A El Paso... His first home run of the season was a gametying pinch-hit home run in the top of the ninth inning on April 30 at SF...it was the first game-tying pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning by a Padre since Adrián González on Sept. 16, 2009 vs. ARI... On June 24 vs. DET, hit his second home run of the season (also a pinch-hit home run) in his second at-bat since returning from the disabled list (right foot contusion)... His third homer of the season on June 30 vs. LAD was also in a pinch-hit role…his three-pinch-hit round-trippers led the Padres and were tied for the third-most in the Majors… accounted for three of the Padres six pinch-hit HRs, which ranked tied for sixth among all MLB clubs... His three pinch-hit home runs led the team and they ended the season tied for third-most of any player in the Majors... Per Elias, Sanchez was the fourth Padre to have three-or-more consecutive homers in a season coming in a pinch-hitting role...Matt Stairs and Brett Wallace hit four straight in 2010 and 2015, respectively, and Jerry Turner hit five consecutive homers in 1978... On July 21 at SF, Sanchez went 3-for-6 and he finished a triple shy of the cycle…in 834 career plate appearances, he is still in search of his first triple... Appeared in 75 games, besting his previous career high of 74 games, set in 2012 while with the Giants...his 12 extra-base hits were also the most since 2012 (18)... His .423 slugging percentage was the second-highest in a season in his career, behind only his .469 SLG that he posted last season... Appeared in 25 games (19 starts) behind the plate, posting a .987 fielding percentage as a catcher…has a career .988 percentage behind the dish... Hit .300 (9-for-30) against the Giants, his former team…his RBI (11), runs scored (six), hits (nine), doubles (two), home runs (four) and games played (15) were the most against any other club he faced in 2017.

2014

Had his fourth big league season cut short due to a pair of concussions, sustained in late July and early August...Appeared in just 66 games and batted .196 (32-for-163) with eight doubles, three home runs and 28 RBI...Made 34 starts, 33 at catcher and one at 1st base...threw out 9-of-40 (22.6%) would-be basestealers and allowed four passed balls...Made his third career Opening Day roster...Recorded his first career two-homer game, his first career grand slam and drove in a career-best five runs in the Giants' 12-10, 11-inning victory over the Rockies on April 23 at Coors Field…his 11th inning grand slam gave the Giants a 12-8 lead…since the Giants moved to SF following the 1957 season, Sanchez became one of six Giants players with an extra-inning grand slam, joining Willie Mays (June 1967), Jack Hiatt (April 1969), Jeffrey Leonard (July 1983), Greg Litton (October 1992), and A.J. Pierzynski (May 2004)...Made his first career start at 1st base on May 13 vs. Atlanta...Caught Tim Lincecum's second career no-hitter on June 25 vs. San Diego...became only the third Venezuelan-born catcher to catch a no-hitter in the Majors...the Giants catcher joined Miguel Montero (2010 - Edwin Jackson for the Diamondbacks) and Jesus Montero (2012 - combined six pitchers for the Mariners)...Landed on the seven-day concussion disabled list on July 26 after taking an Adrian Gonzalez foul ball off his mask the night prior...Was sent to triple-A Fresno Aug. 5 for a rehab assignment and appeared in seven games before being diagnosed with his second concussion in a month, enduring his second mishap on Aug. 16 when a foul tip struck his catcher's mask...Was recalled from his minor's rehab on Aug. 19, was transferred to the 60-day DL on Sept. 1 and missed the remainder of the season.

2013

Had three separate appearances with SF, batting .248 (32-for-129) with three HRs and 19 RBI in 63 games. Made 25 starts for the Giants (24 at catcher and one as a DH). Made his second Opening Day roster. Missed several weeks in spring with inflammation in his right shoulder and appeared in only nine Cactus League games. Threw out just 5-of-26 attempted basestealers and had five passed balls. Was just 5-for-30 (.167) with a home run and five RBI as a pinch-hitter. SF pitchers posted a 2.96 ERA (44er, 134.0ip) in his last 18 games catching. Recorded his third career game-ending hit on June 22 vs. Miami, hitting a bases loaded single in the 11th inning off RHP Ryan Webb to give the Giants a 2-1 win. Was placed on the disabled list with a strained right shoulder on July 9 and missed 12 games (was optioned to Fresno on July 24 when he was reinstated from D.L.). Hit a pinch-hit, three-run homer on Aug. 15 at Washington with two outs in the 9th inning to give SF a 4-3 win...it marked just the second time in the last 25 years a pinch hitter delivered a game-winning HR with the Giants one out from defeat, as Armando Rios did so on July 18, 2000 vs. Texas (Elias). Hit .271 (23-for-85) with three HRs and 11 RBI in 32 games for triple-A Fresno.

2012

Made his first Opening Day roster and spent his first full season in the big leagues. Switch-hitter batted .280 (61-for-218) with three HRs and 34 RBI in 74 games. Started 49 games (48 at catcher and one as DH)...85.4% of his starts came with either Lincecum or Zito starting (started 25 of Zito's 32 starts and 16 of Lincecum's 33). The Giants were 30-18 in his starts behind the plate. Threw out 11 of 51 (21.6%) attempted base thieves. On April 9 at Colorado, caught Barry Zito's shutout in what was just his seventh career big league start behind the dish...the last catcher to be behind the plate for a shutout by a pitcher within his first seven starts of his career was Hank Conger (fourth start) for the Angels on Sept. 21, 2010 (pitcher was Ervin Santana). Hit his first Major League home run in Game 2 of a doubleheader on April 23 at New York-NL...his two-run shot off RHP Dillon Gee in the 7th inning extended the Giants lead to 7-1. Recorded his first career game-ending hit with a pinch-hit single in the bottom of the 11th inning which gave the Giants a 4-3 victory over the Brewers on May 6. Delivered a game-winning home run on May 21 at Milwaukee, hitting a solo shot in the top of the 14th inning at Miller Park off of right-handed pitcher Juan Perez...became the first Giants player to hit a go-ahead home run in the 14th inning or later in a road game since Kevin Mitchell in the 16th inning at St. Louis on May 11, 1988.

2011

Began 2011 season with Class A Advanced San Jose and was later promoted to triple-A Fresno... combined to hit .285 (104-for-365) with 23 2Bs, 12 HRs and 84 RBI in 98 games between both affiliates ... Participated in big league camp for 1st time in his career this in 2011 ... Became just 2nd player in San Jose Giants history to slug 3 home runs in single-game at Stockton on May 23... backstop finished night 3-for-6 with 6 RBI ... Posted 10-game hitting streak with San Jose from May 13-23, batting .400 (18-for-45) with 5 HRs and 19 RBI during that span ... Prior to being promoted to triple-A Fresno on June 9, backstop batted .301 (53-for-176) with 13 2Bs, 8 HRs and 42 RBI in 42 games with San Jose (25 as catcher and 17 as DH) ... Finished 40-for-153 (.261) with 9 2Bs, HR and 26 RBI in 46 games with Grizzlies ... Had his contract purchased from triple-A Fresno on July 15, as Giants placed Pat Burrell on 15-day DL...in order to make room for Sanchez on 40-man roster, Mark DeRosa was transferred from 15-day disabled list to 60-day DL... made his Major League debut on July 15 in pinch-hit situation, drawing walk in his 1st at-bat ... Appeared in 3 games, going 0-for-3, before being optioned to Fresno on July 19 to clear roster spot for Brandon Belt ... Was recalled by San Francisco on Aug. 19 taking roster spot of Eli Whiteside who was placed on 7-day DL with concussion ... Recorded his 1st Major League hit and RBI on Aug. 23 vs. San Diego with pinch-hit RBI-single off RHP Luke Gregerson ... Was optioned to Class A Advanced San Jose on Aug. 25 and recalled again by San Francisco on Sept. 4, marking 3rd time that he was promoted to big league club ... Owned .258 clip (8-for-31) with 2 2Bs and RBI in 13 games in Giants uniform...finished season with 6-game hitting streak, batting .333 (6-for-18) with 2B over his final 6 games ... Appeared in 6 games (3 starts) at catcher for SF...opponents were successful in 10 of 12 (83.3%) stolen base attempts off him.

2010

Batted .274 (85-for-310) with 20 2Bs, 5 HRs and 31 RBI for Class A Augusta...Threw out 32-of-84 (38.1%) attempted base stealers...Logged 11-game hitting streak June 29-July 14, batting .429 (18-for-42) during span.

2009

Caught 33 games with Arizona Giants and finished with .299 avg. (35-for-117), 8 2Bs, 3B and 22 RBI...was 2nd-highest run producer on club, behind Jesse Shriner's 24 RBI...went 2-for-4 with RBI in League Championship Game that Giants eventually lost to Mariners.

2008

Was one of top players in Dominican Summer League, leading league with .348 batting average and 63 RBI...went 5-for-24 (.208) with HR and 2 RBI in 6 playoff games, during which he helped lead his club to title game, however Giants lost 2-games-to-1 to Nationals.

2007

Made his professional debut after signing with Giants as 16-year old non-drafted free agent and proceeded to hit .286 (34-for-119) in 44 games.