4 years agoNew York Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka won't start the season as starting pitcher Gerrit Cole's personal catcher in 2021, according to manager Aaron Boone. Catcher Gary Sanchez's all-around struggles last season, combined with Cole's improved performance with Higashioka behind the plate (1.00 ERA with Higashioka, 3.91 ERA with Sanchez), has fueled speculation that Higashioka would primarily catch for Cole this year. However, Boone and the Yankees have expressed some confidence in a rebound year for Sanchez this season and are giving him the opportunity to reclaim his role as the team's everyday catcher. It's not hard to see why the Yankees are giving Sanchez time to get back on track. Before struggling in 2020, Sanchez was one of the league's premier offensive catchers with an .846 OPS for his career, but fantasy managers should still expect the 28-year-old to be on a relatively short leash this season.--Sam Chinitz
Source: Bryan Hoch