Gaby Sanchez was selected by the Marlins in the fourth round of the 2005 amateur draft out of the University of Miami where he was primarily a catcher. He made his Major League debut with the team late in 2008, going 3-8 with two doubles in five games. He would return to the minors for more seasoning.
In 2009, Sanchez struggled in spring training, and was sent back to the Marlins AAA affiliate, the New Orleans Zephyrs of the Pacific Coast League. He was called up in July, and hit .238 in 21 games.
In spring training of 2010, Sanchez was impressive enough to make the parent club as the starting first baseman. In 151 games for the Marlins, he hit .273 with 19 home runs and 85 RBI, finishing fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting.
In 2011, Sanchez was selected to his first All-Star game, the only Marlin represented at the event. He hit .266 and again belted 19 home runs to go along with 78 RBIs that season. His 74 walks were good for eighth most in the NL. He also appeared in a team leading and NL fifth best 159 games.
In 336 games over four seasons, Sanchez has a .269 average with 74 doubles, 40 home runs and 167 RBI. His lifetime fielding percentage at first base is .994, with only 16 errors in 2,590 total chances.