In a 13-year career, Sanguillen played in 1,448 games, accumulating 1,500 hits in 5,062 at bats for a .296 career batting average, along with 65 home runs and 585 runs batted in. He ended his career with a .986 fielding percentage. Sanguillen was the Pirates' catcher on September 20, 1969 when Bob Moose pitched a no-hitter. Along with his three All-Star Game appearances, he was a member of two world championship winning teams in 1971 and 1979, and finished in eighth place in the Most Valuable Player Award balloting results. Sanguillen edged out Johnny Bench on The Sporting News National League All-Star Team in , the only time between and that Bench was not selected.