Blue Jays right-hander Aaron Sanchez is excited to be back in front of Toronto fans.

After a 1-5 start to the season, the team kicks off a nine-game homestand Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

“It’s exciting,” he said during an event promoting PlayStation’s MLB The Show 17.

Sanchez is the Canadian cover athlete for the game, following previous Jays stars Jose Bautista, Brett Lawrie, Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson.

“It was surreal,” he says of being chosen. “They asked if I played PlayStation and I said, ‘Yeah.’ That was followed by, ‘Do you want to be on the cover of MLB The Show 17?’ and I was ecstatic.

“I’ve played this game my whole life.”

Sanchez is also happy to be back in The Six thanks to the appearance of the Maple Leafs and Raptors in the NHL and NBA postseason.

“That’s sick,” he says enthusiastically.

“Just getting back to the city with so much going on; it’s amazing,” Sanchez says. “It’s been quite awhile since the Leafs have made it into the playoffs and they’re a fun, young exciting team. Everyone knows what the Raptors are capable of doing in light of what they’ve done the past few seasons. Even with us, too. We went to the ALCS back-to-back and we were able to bring baseball life back into this city.”

Sanchez led the American League in ERA last season at 3.00, with a 15-2 record.

The winning resurgence of the Jays, Leafs and Raptors — along with the Toronto FC — has made the city a desirable destination for athletes, Sanchez says.

“Hopefully we can have a championship team come out of this city in the next few years,” he says smiling.

Twitter: @markhdaniell

MDaniell@postmedia.com