After posting an 8–1 record, and winning NJCAARegion II Pitcher of the Year in 2002, Sánchez signed for a bonus of $1 million, and began pitching in the Tigers minor league system in 2002. In 2003, he was named to the Midwest League’s mid-season all-star team. He was third in the league and tied for fifth in the minors with 78 walks. In 2004, Sánchez was promoted to the Double-AErie SeaWolves. He was second in the Florida State League with three complete games. Sánchez was named the fifth best prospect in the Detroit organization following the season by Baseball America. He pitched for Mesa in the Arizona Fall League following the 2005 season, posting a 1–0 record and 2.15 ERA in six starts. He was named the sixth best prospect in the Detroit organization following the season by Baseball America. In 2006, splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A, Sánchez struck out 129 batters in 123 innings, while giving up only 97 hits. It was the third year in a row in which he struck out at least a batter an inning. He was the starting pitcher for the World Team at the All-Star Futures Game. He also earned International League Pitcher of the Week honors.
By 2006, Sánchez had become recognized as one of the best pitching prospects in the game, and on November 10, 2006, the Tigers traded Sánchez, along with minor league pitchers Anthony Claggett and Kevin Whelan, to the New York Yankees for slugger Gary Sheffield. Sánchez underwent Tommy John surgery in the spring of 2007, sidelining him until the 2008 season. On September 15, 2008, Sánchez was called up by the Yankees and made his major league debut three days later in relief against the Chicago White Sox. He struck out one batter, Paul Phillips, the first batter he faced in MLB. With the Yankees, Sánchez made two one-inning appearances, allowing one run. Sánchez was released by the Yankees on April 25, 2009, then re-signed a minor league deal with the organization on May 5. On November 9, 2009, he was released again by the Yankees. ;Late career In 2010, Sánchez joined La New Bears, a Taiwanese professional baseball club in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. Sánchez last played professionally during the 2011 and 2012 seasons for the Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
