Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | HOU | RHP | 6 | 50 |
Grades Update: Jan 2021
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SL | CH | Cont/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 45 | 45 | 55/50 |
Jan 2021 Report
Evaluator: Ian Smith
Age: 19 yr
Height: 6-3
Weight: 185 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2020 Draft, Round 2
RuleV: 2024
Physical Description: Lanky, projectable frame with tons of room for growth. High waist with long arms. Has added muscle in his lower half since being drafted. Plenty of room to add good weight going forward as well.
Delivery & Mechanics: Santos makes it look extremely easy on the mound. Works primarily out of the stretch on the first base side of the rubber. Arm slot sits in a high three quarters. Shows present plus arm speed with a strong lead leg block. Will have complete control of his frame throughout his delivery with very little added effort. Will really sink into the back leg and explode through finish. Uses his long levers to his advantage getting above average extension with a low release point.
Fastball: Santos has worked hard to improve an already quality pitch this offseason. Sitting 92-94 at draft day, Santos has recently touched 97 in a bullpen with velo trending up. Spin efficiency is consistently over 90% with very high spin rates north of 2600 RPMs. Gets impressive arm side run and rarely goes over the middle of the plate. Movement profile stands out with an average induced vertical break of 16" in recent pens with plus horizontal movement. His frame and delivery also make the pitch appear to have more life creating uncomfortable At-Bats consistently. Santos will command his fastball as well as any pitch in his arsenal, and has the confidence to match. Grade: 55
Curveball: 77-80; with more velocity to come potentially. High spin rates. Creates an insane amount of depth out of a very tight 11/5 shape. Will rarely start the pitch above the hands while getting hard, late break that disappears at the bottom of the zone. Creates an optimal release point, and tunnels extremely well off of the fastball. Command and confidence to throw in any count. Will creates a ton of lost swings, and made a lot of great hitters look foolish at the prep level. It's an easy to see plus pitch. Grade: 60
Slider: 81-85. Third pitch in Santos advanced arsenal. Has begun to make big improvements with this pitch over the last 6 months. Gets big sweeping movement, with a late break that is devastating to RHH. Command isn't on the same level as the FB/CB but will throw this pitch in two strike counts often for the swing and miss. Grade: 45
Changeup: 85-87. Gives Santos a true starters mix. Mimics the fastball well in arm speed. Shows good feel for the pitch and will throw it early in counts to get ahead, but not a real weapon yet for swings and misses. Command is plus, but doesn't throw the pitch enough. Limited velo separation currently but if the fastball velocity keeps trending up, then you will see this pitch blossom. Grade: 45
Control and Command: Santos will control the entire strike zone. Pounds the zone with three pitches. Will consistently work his fastball on the black while breaking off the curveball off the plate. The development of his slider command will ultimately determine if this is a plus tool long term. Showed an advanced feel to pitch in the biggest of moments at the prep level. Control: 55 | Command: 50
Overall: Santos was the first player Houston was able to draft in 2020, and shows plenty of ability to give a great return of investment. Big time FB/CB with plus command with tons of projection remaining. The cold weather prep was able to turn heads at the Astros instructional league this fall, and gives you all the makings of someone you can see developing into a high strikeout mid-rotation arm with this Astros player development.
OFP: 50
Role: 50 - #4 - #5 SP or Average High-Leverage Reliever
Risk: High
