He went 19–10 with a 3.21 earned run average as a starting pitcher his first professional season with the Florida State League's Sanford Greyhounds.

He made his major league debut against the New York Yankees later that season, pitching 1.2 innings without giving up a run.

In 1966, he went 3–6 with two saves and a 3.80 ERA for the Bosox before being dealt back to Kansas City with Jim Gosger and Guido Grilli for Rollie Sheldon, Jose Tartabull and John Wyatt.

[2] He made his only major league start upon his return to the A's, pitching four innings of one run ball against the California Angels before giving way to the bullpen.

Just prior to Spring training 1970, he, Mike Hershberger, Lew Krausse Jr. and Phil Roof were traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Don Mincher and Ron Clark.

First, to the Philadelphia Phillies along with Jim Lonborg, Ken Brett and Earl Stephenson for Don Money, John Vukovich and Bill Champion on October 31.

Sanders, along with former Brewers teammate Skip Lockwood and Bob Apodaca, gave the Mets one of the more formidable bullpens in the division.

He started the 1977 season playing minor league ball for the Brewers before retiring,[11] and moving into real estate.