Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | LAD | 3B | 31 | 40 |
Grades Update: Dec 2020
| OFP | Role | Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 40 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 60 | 40 |
Dec 2020 Report
Evaluator: Robert James
Age: 24 yr
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2014 IFA
RuleV: Eligible
Physical Description: Great size, broad-shouldered and strong. His physical projection looks about done but he's got plenty of size. Strong lower half. Not a great runner but he's a good athlete.
Hit: Enigmatic hitter, with a highly aggressive approach and energetic demeanor at the plate. Despite this it's toned way down from what it used to be- a close approximation of his old swing is one of those old Bugs Bunny cartoons. It's much quieter now but he still looks like he's absolutely killing the ball. And the swing works- the problem is it works too well, he absolutely refuses to walk. He had a 3% BB rate last year and frankly there are few to none successful hitters that walk that rarely. He also has an extremely high GB but his swing isn't geared for GB contact, it's a product of his aggressive nature and habit of contact on the wrong pitches. Grade: 40
Power: He's got power. The ball jumps off his bat and he can hit it way out to the opposite field. But again the power doesn't play as well as it should because he swings at everything which includes a lot of balls that it's basically impossible to drive. Improved pitch selection could go a long way to Santana unlocking his plus raw BP power. Grade: 50
Field: Santana mostly played third base with some first base thrown in as well. He's an adequate fielder with an average first step, lateral movement and infield actions. Not rangey, but certainly not a limited fielder. Grade: 50
Arm: Plus arm with the ability to make some highlight reel throws at times. Cannon arm with online carry and the ability to repeat his motion and land on his intended target, Santana's strongest skill. Grade: 60
Run: Below average runner, not a base clogger and can move at a fringe pace once underway. Base stealing isn't part of his game and he has just average range at third. Grade: 40
Overall: Like many prospects, the only thing holding Santana back from being an everyday player is his hit tool. However, with the vast majority of prospects, the problem is that they don't make enough contact- as mentioned previously, Santana has the opposite problem. He makes too MUCH contact. That may not seem like an issue but it is; Santana strikes out over 20% of the time and even though that's not a crazy amount by today's standards, if he maintains his 3% BB rate, he would probably have to hit around .400 on balls in play just to be an average regular. That's not going to happen. Santana is almost 24 and it's nearly impossible to imagine him changing his approach and suddenly developing patience. However, the other tools are good enough to where I'll project him as a platoon/utility guy even though he'll almost certainly max out as an org soldier.
OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Below Average Player - Bench/Platoon
Risk: High
