Prospect tries to emulate ‘The Antelope’
Greensboro OF has makings of another Moreno
Lolo Sanchez has long idolized Omar Moreno for a few reasons.
The former Pirates outfielder’s Panamanian heritage, for one. But also Moreno’s hitting ability and aggressiveness on the bases. “The Antelope” stole 487 bases in his career, which included five seasons of 50-plus steals, a high-water mark of 96 in 1980 and 77 (along with a .282 average) when the Pirates won the World Series in 1979.
A few years ago, Sanchez was lucky enough to meet Moreno, with the two chatting about baserunning and playing the outfield. Sanchez remembers those conversations to this day, carrying Moreno’s words of wisdom with him to high Class A Greensboro, where he enjoyed a breakout season in 2021.
“I’ve heard amazing things about Omar Moreno, his baserunning and how amazing a baserunner he was,” Sanchez said Wednesday over Zoom, with Mike Gonzalez translating. “I identify a lot with Omar Moreno. He’s someone that’s poured into my life, so I appreciate him a lot.”
The Moreno comparison is appropriate not because of their shared Latin heritage (Sanchez is from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) but more so the award that Sanchez won Wednesday, the Omar Moreno baserunner of the year.
It comes after Sanchez led all high Class A East players — and the Pirates’ entire minor league system — with 30 stolen bases in 2021. The speedy Sanchez used his wheels, smarts and aggression to score 79 runs, which also paced all East players.
The baserunning part makes sense. More than anything, Sanchez said he values practice and the opportunities he has had to perfect his lead and getting better reads off the bat.
The stolen bases also have come as a result of Sanchez learning how to anticipate pitchers’ deliveries and pickoff moves, something that could translate into a half-second jump and also being plugged in enough to identify good running counts — when a pitcher might be throw something softer or in the dirt, creating a tougher throw for the catcher.
“My mindset is to be aggressive on the bases and to do my homework, really evaluate the game situations, constantly watch the scoreboard, see the situation, see opportunities not only for me to get on base, but to be mindful of how to run the bases,” Sanchez said. “It’s something I’ve been taught throughout my career and something that I take seriously.”
In addition to an aggressive mindset — which Sanchez said also includes studying opposing lineups and knowing which arms to test or avoid — his bat took a decided step forward in 2021.
With just 13 home runs in the previous four seasons combined, the 5-foot-11, 168pound Sanchez was hardly considered a power hitter. His career-best OPS was actually just .776, achieved in his second season of rookie ball in 2017.
But this past season, Sanchez experienced a significant spike in power numbers, as he hit .264 with 18 doubles, 17 home runs, 58 RBIs and an .826 OPS in 104 games with the Grasshoppers, becoming just one of eight players in all of MiLB with at least 17 home runs and 30 or more steals.
“The priority there has been my mindset,” Sanchez said.
The uptick in offensive production did wonders for Sanchez’s stock as a prospect. Along with more recognized players such as Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo, Liover Peguero and Matt Fraizer (for part of the year), Sanchez helped drive an offense that paced all East teams in runs scored (723), hits (1,049) and total bases (1,865).
The success at Greensboro has been a major reason why the Grasshoppers thus far have dominated Pittsburgh’s minor league awards, that group offering ample optimism for the future.
“It was a great experience to have those guys by my side, have a great season and compete with them,” Sanchez said. “I love to compete, and if I have teammates who enjoy competing with each other, ... I know that that’s something beneficial to all of us.”
It’s something that has made Sanchez much more than a basestealing threat, although he’s obviously excited to have drawn the comparisons to Moreno, at least for the sake of Wednesday’s award presentation.
“My mindset’s always been, every season, to have 30plus stolen bases,” Sanchez said.