Anibal Sanchez is one of the best pitchers to come out of Venezuela, but he had an up-and-down career. He was signed by the Boston Red Sox but traded to the Florida Marlins while still in the minors. He had a successful rookie year, winning ten games against three losses, with a 2.93 ERA, and throwing a no-hitter that year. However, control issues and a torn labrum troubled him over the next three seasons, and he only played 32 games during that time. Sanchez was finally healthy in 2010 and, though not a star, became a solid middle-of-the-rotation performer.
The Marlins traded Sanchez to the Detroit Tigers for their playoff run, and in 2013 he had his best season. He led the American League in ERA (2.57), ERA+ (162), FIP (2.39), and HR9 (0.4), and was fourth in Cy Young voting. Sanchez never matched that level of performance again, and by 2017 he lost his job as a starter and was later demoted to AAA. Sanchez looked to be finished, but he found a spot on the Atlanta Braves roster, where he had his best year since 2013 (7-6, 2.83 ERA), resurrecting his career. The Washington Nationals signed him to a contract, and he helped the team win their first World Series Championship in 2019.
Sanchez played until 2022 and retired with a record of 116-119, with 1,774 strikeouts.