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.

Aníbal Sánchez arrived in Florida as a central piece of the franchise-altering trade that sent Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston. A highly regarded arm from Venezuela, he was expected to join a new wave of young talent that could stabilize the rotation for the next generation.

In 2006, Sánchez demonstrated his raw ability by going 10-3 with a 2.83 ERA, but his crowning achievement came on September 6 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He authored the first major league no-hitter in over two years, a specialized performance that snapped the longest drought in the sport's history at the time. This breakout season earned him a top-ten finish in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Between 2010 and 2011, Sánchez made a comeback after years of localized shoulder struggles. In 2010, he demonstrated full mastery of his repertoire, recording 13 wins and 157 strikeouts while pitching nearly 200 innings for the first time. In 2011, he continued his strong performance, finishing sixth in the league with 202 strikeouts and third in strikeouts per nine innings.

Sanchez was traded to Detroit during the 2012 season, and later in his career, he would win a World Series with Washington in 2019.  With the Marlins, he had a 44-45 record, a 3.75 ERA, and 676 strikeouts.