Gary Sanchez, Gio Urshela thriving with Twins as they prepare to face former Yankees teammates

TORONTO – Taking one look at Gary Sanchez these days confirms he is not the same guy who flourished and languished for seven years with the New York Yankees.

And it's all because he can finally grow a beard, which his former team will see in person when starting a three-game series against the Twins on Tuesday night at Target Field.

The facial hair is a bit of a metaphor, one could say. See, under the somewhat authoritarian rule of the Yankees — an organization steeped in tradition — players practically have to rid themselves of all personality before taking the field. No beards, no long hair and certainly no names on the back of their jerseys.

It's ironic, then, that all the assimilation doesn't insulate the players from the harshness of playing in a big market, where the media will take to their outlets and the fans to their Twitters to criticize any and every mistake.

Sanchez certainly learned that firsthand. He went from a top catcher prospect who finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2016 — having played one-third of a season — to near pariah when his hitting lagged and his defense faltered in the years since.

A New York Post columnist once berated the Dominican Republic native for conducting his interviews in Spanish and using an interpreter to translate. After the Yankees traded Sanchez and Gio Urshela to the Twins this past spring training in exchange for Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt, NJ.com quoted an anonymous MLB scout saying the Yankees pitchers were "having a party" with Sanchez offloaded.

Both Sanchez and Urshela are pretty vanilla when speaking of their former team. Urshela, generally a soft-spoken person, is on his fourth MLB team and didn't receive the same attention as Sanchez during his three seasons with the Yankees.

Urshela said there was pressure to "do stuff right" in New York to fend off any critiques. But he also said focusing too much on what pundits or fans might say could make him "go too crazy."

"In New York, there's a lot of history there as a team," Urshela explained. "… There's a lot of expectation."

The farthest Sanchez would go was to say it's a "good point" that the New York market is more aggressive than the Midwest.

"That's the biggest difference, more press over there, more media coverage," Sanchez said in Spanish through an interpreter. "But at the same time, it's our job to be ready to answer any questions in good moments, bad moments."

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli had experience playing in a big market when he was with the Boston Red Sox in 2009, though the rest of his career started and finished with the smaller-market Tampa Bay Rays. He said the difference is obvious, with the bigger markets challenging players to tune out the distracting and anxiety-inducing commentary.

"A lot of times in the big markets, the expectation levels are at points that are just not reachable for any player," Baldelli said. "… You shouldn't have to worry about [that]. You should be able to just go out there and do your job. But it's hard to do in a place like New York."

But perhaps not so much in the Twin Cities. Both Sanchez and Urshela seem relaxed in the Twins clubhouse. Baldelli mentioned how comfortable and happy Sanchez looks. And that security possibly influenced him to want the same for Miguel Andujar, his friend and former Yankees teammate who reportedly asked for a trade as he struggles for playing time. Sanchez said Sunday he supported Andujar and hoped a different team could give him a better opportunity.

Luis Arraez has also raved about Urshela and how they often chat about the ways best to play third base.

"They are amazing," Arraez said. "… They are really good people."

That's translating to the field as well. Urshela has been a solid third baseman and hitter so far this season with five home runs and 23 RBI, including producing a walkoff victory with an infield single May 23 against Detroit. Sanchez has seven home runs and 27 RBI, spurring fans to chant his name on numerous occasions.

The Yankees will be a challenge, with the best record in the major leagues (39-15). Kiner-Falefa, the team's regular shortstop, is hitting .274. Donaldson has five homers and 17 RBI, while Rortvedt hasn't played for the Yankees after arthroscopic knee surgery.

Sanchez said other than looking forward to seeing his former compatriots, he'll have to wait until Tuesday comes to really find out what emotions facing New York will stir.

"Maybe a lot of adrenaline that day," Sanchez said. "But at the same time, excited to come out with my new team."