When discussing the greatest sports figures of all time, the first names that get brought up are the usual suspects: Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods.
But there is one name that gets brought up every now and then in a half-joking manner, and that's arguably the greatest video game character ever — Pablo Sanchez.
Sanchez is a part of the Backyard Sports franchise, a video game series that was incredibly popular in the late 1990s and 2000s. There were a number of different editions of the game, including Backyard Baseball, Backyard Basketball and Backyard Football.
Users had the chance to play as stars from various professional leagues, but they also had their choice of the "neighborhood kids" unique to the series.
When looking at the non-pro athlete characters in the series, Sanchez was also one of the first that users would choose. The short, backwards-hat sporting player was known for his dominance across all sports, creating a legendary aura in the gaming community.
With Backyard Sports set to make a return, that means gamers once again will be able to crush the competition with Sanchez by their side.
Here is more to know about Sanchez and his skills in Backyard Sports.
MORE: What to know about the return of Backyard Sports
Who is Pablo Sanchez?
Pablo Ramon Sanchez is a fictional character in the Backyard Sports franchise.
Nicknamed the "Secret Weapon," Sanchez was known for his all-around athleticism and for being an exceptional teammate. In the first iterations of the game, he was seen sporting a backwards snapback, and he mainly speaks Spanish.
The "Secret Weapon" of Backyard Baseball.
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 18, 2024
Happy birthday to the GOAT, Pablo Sanchez. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/gkTkL5kqAf
Sanchez is one of the 30 original characters from the first Backyards Sports video game series and has appeared in all editions of the game.
Why is Pablo Sanchez so good?
For any that immersed themselves in Backyard Baseball, Sanchez was one of the go-to players on the diamond. He was a stellar asset in all facets of the game, which is what made him so appealing.
Basically, Sanchez was so good in the video game because that's how the game set his ratings. In Backyard Baseball, there were four different skills — batting, running, pitching and fielding — and every character received a score of 1-10 for each skill.
Sanchez was the only neighborhood kid in the game with two attributes with a score of 10. He had a 10 rating in batting and a 10 rating in fielding, and he also received a 9 for his running and a 5 for pitching. With his total attribute points added up, Sanchez had 34 – the most out of any of the kids in the game, and that put him in competition with the MLB players included in the game for the highest rating.
Secret Base's Kofie Yeboah broke down Sanchez's attributes and skills in a YouTube video published earlier this month, dissecting just how good Sanchez was in the game compared to others.
Is Pablo Sanchez real?
While he may feel real to those that spent limitless hours playing Backyard Baseball and the other video games in the franchise, Sanchez is not real. He is simply a fictional character for the Backyard Sports franchise.
His impact on the real world cannot be understated. Recently, the MLB had their Players' Weekend, a schedule where baseball players in the league can sport atypical attires, whether that be the jerseys, cleats, gloves or bats.
For Royals star Bobby Witt Jr., that meant having a chance to bring Backyard Baseball to the MLB. The young shortstop phenom had a special Backyard Baseball-themed bat this year, with Sanchez' face plastered right on the barrel.
The customized bat was cool enough as is, but in the batter's box, it brought out the Sanchez magic. Witt Jr. smashed a home run off Nick Martinez in an Aug. 16 contest between the Royals and Reds. He took a 0-1 four-seamer inside and got all of it, smacking it into the second deck at Great American Ball Park.
