LAKEWOOD, N.J. — The last warm-up pitch Sixto Sanchez threw before the first inning Wednesday night was 100 mph. That’s what it said on two of the ubiquitous radar guns behind home plate at FirstEnergy Park.
Here was a slender starting pitcher, 18 years old for another two weeks, exerting minimal energy to produce triple digits. For practice.
“Have you ever seen that?” one scout turned to another.
The next 90 minutes were difficult to reconcile. It is not supposed to be this effortless and this stunning for a pitcher in his 22nd start as a professional baseball player in America.