When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Sands throws a fastball 88.7% of the time, against 55.8% when he is ahead.
53 pitches behind in the count, 52 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Sands goes to the curveball: 27.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 8.3% the rest of the time.
48 two-strike pitches in 2026.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Sands releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 27 degrees above horizontal and 2.2 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
181 tracked release points, averaging 5.5 feet off the ground.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Sands's 4-seam fastball carries 14.2 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
71 thrown, averaging 93.1 mph.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 92.7 mph off the bat against Sands, 5th percentile.
181 pitches in 2026. 5th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 512th in MLB.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Sands's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 97.2 mph, against 92.6 off his cutter.
71 and 44 of them thrown.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
51.4% of the contact Sands gives up is hit hard, 8th percentile.
181 pitches in 2026. 8th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 495th in MLB.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Sands releases the ball 5.8 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
136 tracked pitches in 2026.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Sands works with 5 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Cutter, Splitter and Curveball, and a little else. The 4-seam fastball is 39.2% of everything he throws.
181 classified pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Sands's 4-seam fastball moves 11.5 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
71 thrown, averaging 93.1 mph.
He falls behind hitters far too often
Sands throws a strike on the first pitch 54% of the time.
50 plate appearances started in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Sands throws the 4-seam fastball 48.1% of the time against left-handers and 32.7% against right-handers.
104 pitches to right-handers, 77 to left-handers.
He lives on one side of the plate
Sands works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 1.5 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
181 located pitches in 2026.
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Sands lives in the strike zone: 44.2% of his pitches are in it, 64th percentile.
181 pitches in 2026. 64th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 192nd in MLB.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Sands puts 62.3% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 48.1% when he is ahead.
53 located pitches behind, 52 ahead.
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Sands averages 89.0 mph across his arsenal, 38th percentile in the league.
181 pitches in 2026. 38th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 334th in MLB.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
5.8 mph separates Sands's 4-seam fastball from his cutter, 93.1 against 87.3.
71 and 44 of them respectively.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Sands's 4-seam fastball averages 93.1 mph, and has touched 95.7.
71 thrown, 39.2% of his pitches.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Sands's cutter spins at 2,358 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
44 thrown in 2026.
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The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Sands throws a fastball 88.7% of the time, against 55.8% when he is ahead.
53 pitches behind in the count, 52 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Sands goes to the curveball: 27.1% of his two-strike pitches, against 8.3% the rest of the time.
48 two-strike pitches in 2026.
He falls behind hitters far too often
Sands throws a strike on the first pitch 54% of the time.
50 plate appearances started in 2026.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Sands puts 62.3% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 48.1% when he is ahead.
53 located pitches behind, 52 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Sands releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 27 degrees above horizontal and 2.2 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
181 tracked release points, averaging 5.5 feet off the ground.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Sands releases the ball 5.8 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
136 tracked pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Sands's 4-seam fastball carries 14.2 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
71 thrown, averaging 93.1 mph.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Sands's 4-seam fastball moves 11.5 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
71 thrown, averaging 93.1 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 92.7 mph off the bat against Sands, 5th percentile.
181 pitches in 2026. 5th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 512th in MLB.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
51.4% of the contact Sands gives up is hit hard, 8th percentile.
181 pitches in 2026. 8th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 495th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Sands's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 97.2 mph, against 92.6 off his cutter.
71 and 44 of them thrown.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Sands works with 5 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Cutter, Splitter and Curveball, and a little else. The 4-seam fastball is 39.2% of everything he throws.
181 classified pitches in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Sands throws the 4-seam fastball 48.1% of the time against left-handers and 32.7% against right-handers.
104 pitches to right-handers, 77 to left-handers.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
5.8 mph separates Sands's 4-seam fastball from his cutter, 93.1 against 87.3.
71 and 44 of them respectively.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Sands's 4-seam fastball averages 93.1 mph, and has touched 95.7.
71 thrown, 39.2% of his pitches.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Sands's cutter spins at 2,358 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
44 thrown in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He lives on one side of the plate
Sands works in on right-handers: his average pitch lands 1.5 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
181 located pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Sands lives in the strike zone: 44.2% of his pitches are in it, 64th percentile.
181 pitches in 2026. 64th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 192nd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He gets by without much velocity, and it costs him
Sands averages 89.0 mph across his arsenal, 38th percentile in the league.
181 pitches in 2026. 38th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 334th in MLB.
Twins
Career team 2022–2026