Rómulo Sánchez

3.1. Early Minor League Career

Sánchez began his professional career when he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers on 8 March 2002. He spent his initial two seasons pitching as a starter in the Dominican Summer League in 2002 and 2003. The Dodgers released him on 12 March 2004.

Following his release, Sánchez was picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates on 7 May 2004. That same year, he played in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP) for the Pirates, where he notably threw a no-hitter and recorded 12 strikeouts in a single game. In 2005, he made his stateside debut, progressing through rookie league, Single-A, and Double-A, eventually reaching the Double-A Altoona Curve.

In 2006, the Pirates converted him into a relief pitcher due to a perceived lack of effective secondary pitches. He spent the majority of that season in A-ball, where he posted a 7.08 ERA in 40.2 innings over 21 appearances with the Hickory Crawdads. He missed the final two months of the 2006 season due to shoulder tendinitis. After the season, Baseball America recognized his potential by ranking him as the Pirates' 30th best prospect, and he was subsequently added to the team's 40-man roster.

3.2. Major League Baseball (MLB)

Sánchez began the 2007 season with the Double-A Altoona Curve, where he compiled a 6-3 record with a 2.81 ERA across 40 relief appearances. His command improved significantly, with his walk rate dropping from 3.9 BB/9 to 2.7. This improvement caught the attention of the major league club, leading to his promotion.

On 25 August 2007, Sánchez was called up to the Major Leagues after Salomón Torres was placed on the disabled list. He made his MLB debut the following day, 26 August, against the Houston Astros, pitching two-thirds of an inning. In 16 games during the 2007 MLB season, he recorded 1 win and 2 holds. However, he allowed eight runs in three consecutive appearances, which significantly impacted his overall 5.00 ERA across 18 innings of work. After the season, Baseball America ranked him as the 13th best prospect in the Pirates' system.

In 2008, Sánchez started the season in Triple-A with the Indianapolis Indians. He earned another call-up to the majors on 29 June after achieving a 4-0 record with four saves and a 2.85 ERA in 28 relief appearances in Triple-A. On 1 July, he recorded his only MLB save during a 6-5 extra-inning victory for the Pirates over the Cincinnati Reds. During multiple stints with the Pirates that year, he appeared in 10 games, allowing six runs on 14 hits and six walks over 13.1 innings. In spring training 2009, Sánchez was designated for assignment and subsequently outrighted to Triple-A.

On 16 May 2009, Sánchez was traded to the New York Yankees in exchange for Eric Hacker. The Yankees attempted to convert him back into a starting pitcher. Following the 2009 season, he was added to the Yankees' 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. On 7 May 2010, Sánchez was recalled to the major leagues. He appeared in two games, pitching 4.1 innings without allowing any runs. During his appearance on 9 May against the Boston Red Sox, he recorded his fastest MLB pitch at 98 mph (approximately 98 mph ^{(158 km/h)}), pitching 3 innings and allowing only one hit. He primarily played for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in 2010, where he made 31 appearances, including 14 starts, finishing with a 10-8 record, a 3.97 ERA, and a 1.41 WHIP. In 2011, Sánchez was out of options, leading to speculation about a potential trade.

3.3. Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)

On 1 April 2011, Sánchez signed with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for 475.00 K USD plus bonuses. He was brought in with the expectation of contributing as a relief pitcher, but he struggled with consistency. In 15 appearances for the Golden Eagles, he posted a 0-2 record with a 4.96 ERA and did not register any saves or holds. On 22 November 2011, he was released by the team and became a free agent on 29 November 2011.

3.4. Other Professional Leagues

On 19 January 2012, Sánchez signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. He was assigned to the Triple-A Durham Bulls before the start of the season. On 2 August, he was released by the Rays organization after recording a 2-2 record with a 6.31 ERA in 34 appearances for Durham.

In 2013, after participating in the 2013 World Baseball Classic as a member of Team Venezuela, Sánchez signed with Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League on 21 March. He appeared in 8 games, posting an 0-2 record with an 8.59 ERA before being released on 9 April.

On 13 December 2013, Sánchez signed a minor league contract for a second stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he was released in March 2014 before the season began.

On 20 July 2014, he joined the CTBC Brothers in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). His registered name in Taiwan was 桑契斯_Sāngqìsī^{Chinese (Chinese characters)}. He pitched in 11 games, primarily out of the bullpen, and achieved a 1-3 record with one save and a 2.00 ERA.

For the 2015 season, Sánchez signed with T&A San Marino of the Italian Baseball League on 10 February. He appeared in 3 games for the team, posting an 0-2 record with a 5.59 ERA in just 9.2 innings of work. Due to his performance struggles, he was removed from the roster on 16 April.

3.5. International Appearances

Rómulo Sánchez was selected to represent his home country, Venezuela, as a member of Team Venezuela in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

6.1. Pitching Statistics by Year

6.2. Records

• NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball):**
  • First appearance: 1 May 2011, against the Orix Buffaloes in the 6th game, at Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi, entering as the fourth relief pitcher in the 8th inning and pitching 1 inning without allowing a run.
  • First strikeout: 1 May 2011, striking out Tomotaka Sakaguchi in the 8th inning of the same game.

6.3. Jersey Numbers

• 58 (2007-2008) - Pittsburgh Pirates
• 47 (2010) - New York Yankees
• 64 (2010) - New York Yankees
• 74 (2011) - Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
• 54 (2014) - CTBC Brothers