Jul 22, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) reacts after securing the final out against the Boston Red Sox in the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Cristopher Sanchez should have been an N.L. All-Star. We all know that. Heck, he knows that. But there's something else he should be, too - and that's in the N.L. Cy Young conversation.
In his first start after that All-Star snub, Sanchez sent a message - actually a couple of them.
In what was probably the second-best pitching performance of the season behind Zack Wheeler's complete game one-hitter against Cincinnati, Sanchez threw the third complete game of his career against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, allowing one run on four hits with no walks and striking out 12 in a 4-1 Phillies win.
OUR STAR! pic.twitter.com/MnjPlemOkQ
Aside from the 12 strikeouts, Sanchez threw 71% strikes. He induced 13 ground ball outs. Three of Boston's hits were singles on the ground - two of them didn't make it out of the infield.
Aside from a Rob Refsnyder solo home run in the fourth inning, the only other balls that were hit in the air were a lazy fly out to Brandon Marsh in the fifth inning and a line drive to defensive replacement Edmundo Sosa at third base in the ninth inning.
"It was just a fantastic performance," manager Rob Thomson said.
The simple description was accurate.
Sanchez is now 9-2 with a 2.40 ERA. He belongs in the conversation with his teammate, Wheeler, and Pittsburgh's Paul Skenes in the Cy Young Conversation. His ERA+ is 180 - meaning he's 80 percent better than the average starter in MLB. This isn't just one dominant start. This is a season-long effort by one of baseball's best pitchers - and he wants everyone to take notice.
It was evident that this game specifically meant more. Sanchez has worked too damn hard to get where he is to continually be overlooked.
So, when he faced Refsnyder in the eighth inning with two outs and a runner on base protecting s three-run lead, and Refsnyder worked the count full, Sanchez went to his old reliable pitch - the changeup - and struck out the Red Sox leadoff hitter.
It elicited a pretty emotional reaction from Sanchez.
8.0 INNINGS
10 STRIKEOUTS pic.twitter.com/XiXryZi7vL
He let out a primal yawp. He flexed. He then stood upright, shoulders back, head high, and slowly marched from the field to thunderous applause.
"He got me, he homered off me," Sanchez said of Refsnyder. "Then I got him. Twice. Two K's. So that's why I showed so much emotion."
But he knew he wasn't done.
He may have been 96 pitches into this masterpiece of a performance. Orion Kerkering was warm and ready to come in from the bullpen. But the final brush strokes needed to be made by the artist who started the painting.
When Thomson went up to him between innings, Sanchez wasn't about to come out of this game.
"I'm not tired," Thomson said Sanchez told him. "I'd tell you if I was tired."
So out he went for the ninth inning. The roar of the crowd was even more deafening.
"Goosebumps," Sanchez said, describing the feeling of walking out to that applause. "Super exciting. I love that. That motivates me - a lot. That was awesome."
So awesome, in fact that Sanchez only needed 10 pitches to get through the final frame.
When he was done, striking out Romy Gonzalez on the final pitch, there was more emotion, but this was an emotion of thanks. Sanchez pointed in at catcher J.T. Realmuto, and then applauded him himself, thanking him for calling a brilliant game behind the plate.
What. A. Night. pic.twitter.com/cnACkM8hBP
And while Realmuto is known for that, Sanchez is the guy who deserves the flowers.
He has grown from just a guy who gets called up and sent back down to Triple-A a lot just a couple years ago, into a top 10 pitcher in the entire sport.
And with an outing like this, it'll be hard for Cy Young voters not to finally take notice.
"I'd love that," Sanchez said about being in the consideration for the Cy Young Award. "It's a dream for me."
He can keep chasing that dream. The Phillies will be the beneficiary of that chase.
"It's just electric stuff," said Bryce Harper. "He's kind of evolved into an ace for us and thrown the ball really well."
It's time for the rest of the sport to take notice, too.
