Santana....what the....

[Oxtung]

Given his MiLB track record, current bb/k rates and his babip above .400 he is ripe for regression.

 

Is he exciting right now? Yes, no doubt. Is he likely to continue this level of hitting ability? Unlikely. Are we as fans getting ahead of ourselves by pencilling him in as a long term starter at SS or CF after 200 ab's? Definitely.

 

But lucky or not he is a reason to watch the games right now which more than can be said for most of the rest of the team currently.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Maybe no one ever told Santana what his mean is. He might accidentally go his entire career as a .300 hitter with speed and power because no one ever told him.

[nicksaviking]

There has been a long history of players who were lower tier prospects who turned into MLB stars, still, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.  

 

While I'm hoping it doesn't and the Twins have a long term solution for SS, it would be just as welcome to have a legit solution for the top of the order.  Of course if we're going off MiLB history, his OBP is the area that is most likely to regress.

[ericchri]

Abreu in a runaway, obviously, but does Santana get Rookie of the Year votes?

[Jham]

No one has mentioned his absolutely perfectly placed drag bunt last week.  That was my favorite DanSan moment.  I got so frustrated watching Hicks hit under .200 and refuse to drop down a bunt and use his wheels.  Parmalee had the entire infield playing first base last week and refused to drop down a bunt (same series Carlos Santana dropped down a bunt for a walk-to-first base hit, then went yard in his next at bat to emphasize how you beat a shift).  On a team that has to play small ball to win, and with a bunch of players struggling to bat over .215, we can't afford to leave hits on the field or fail to execute on a sacrifice.

[JB_Iowa]

Danny Santana ... a ray of hope in a murky sea.

[gunnarthor]

Abreu in a runaway, obviously, but does Santana get Rookie of the Year votes?

Not sure.  Abreau will come in first and Springer second.  Bogaerts and Bradley (Boston rookies) will get lots of votes.  Kevin Keirmaier is having a nice season for TB.  Santana might get a few votes depending on how many players a voter can vote on but i think he'd probably come in 5th or later on most ballots.

[John Kelsey]

Not sure.  Abreau will come in first and Springer second.  Bogaerts and Bradley (Boston rookies) will get lots of votes.  Kevin Keirmaier is having a nice season for TB.  Santana might get a few votes depending on how many players a voter can vote on but i think he'd probably come in 5th or later on most ballots.

I don't think anyone would vote for Bogaerts or Bradley over Santana at this point. I would have Santana at 5th. 

 

Abreu

Springer/Kiermaier/Brock Holt

Santana

[TwinsfaninPA]

As a new "poster" I must say I am overly pleased with Danny.  He is a fun kid to watch.  I wanna see him playing SS all the time everyday.  It has been so long since we have had a legitimate everyday SS.  Not an optimist by nature but let's enjoy what Danny is doing.  Here's to the future!!!

[Otto von Ballpark]

Not sure.  Abreau will come in first and Springer second.  Bogaerts and Bradley (Boston rookies) will get lots of votes.  Kevin Keirmaier is having a nice season for TB.  Santana might get a few votes depending on how many players a voter can vote on but i think he'd probably come in 5th or later on most ballots.

Tanaka's got to get some votes, even if his season is done, correct?

[John Kelsey]

Tanaka's got to get some votes, even if his season is done, correct?

 

Wow, totally forgot about pitchers somehow. Tanaka will get votes and Yordano Ventura, Marcus Stroman, Collin McHugh and Dellin Betances could as well. 

[Monkeypaws]

Does Santana's hitting style remind anybody of Span? He also kept his lead foot on the ground as I recall.....

[John Kelsey]

Seriously, what the hell is going on here?

[DocBauer]

Right time right place?

 

A raw athlete who's lightbulb just clicked at the right time?

 

I dunno. But this kid just won't fail.

[JustcallupSANO]

Santana for MVP!

[bird]

Thorpe and Berrios have been fast risers, perhaps they'll break the mold, but we can't assume that just because they got bumped quickly in rookie and A ball that they will be in the majors soon.  Caution seems to be preached with pitching, which is fine, but with Gibson, May and Meyer, there seemed to be more detours than there were for the hitters in the upper minors.  A near finished product seems to be the expectation for the pitchers while the batters are allowed some developmental time at the majors.

Yes, they are cautious about innings, but there are other fast risers too. Stewart and Hu come to mind. It has been injury, not a conservative advancement policy (other than controlling innings), that derailed others who were being fast-tracked: Zach Jones, Felix Jorge, Goncalves, Landa come to mind. And very obviously, Gibson, Meyer, and May can all blame their detours on health setbacks much moreso than any reticence to advance them otherwise.

[Craig Arko]

@MikeBerardino: Danny Santana is the first Twins player since Kirby Puckett in 1984 with 3 games of 4+ hits in his first 61 career games.

 

 

Pretty good company.

[RealTwinsFan357]

Honestly I'm perfectly fine leaving Santana in CF at the start of next year. Buxton isn't going to be ready, and there is nobody else in the organization who has done more to earn an extended look. The FA market at center is insanely weak and we have a good hitting shortstop in Escobar. Until Buxton is ready the Twins should role with those two both in the everyday lineup. They can always reevaluate later

[Brock Beauchamp]

I don't get it.

 

It's fun to watch but I don't get it.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Obviously he has no idea where his mean is, or how to regress to it. Damn ballplayers.

[Thegrin]

and when Santana is struggling at the plate, he drops down a nifty bunt.  Who does that remind you of ?

 

they keep saying that with his speed, Santana could probably bunt .300

[PseudoSABR]

Sell high during the offseason?  I guess even if he's two-thirds of what he's been going forward there's still tons of value.

[curt1965]

I've seen it before, but not recently. Better lights, no more long bus rides, better food and nutrition, and better coaches and trainers, can make the jump easier. He seems to have a good makeup, and so far hasn't had any 0-20 stretches. As Thegrin just said, his bunting ability should help him avoid long hitless streaks.

[ScottyB]

Santana for MVP!

 

I know you were probably jokng, but I'd consider him right near the top as Twins MVP (not league).  Remembering the state of CF (and the OF in general) when he came on board, when we had Nunez in LF, Escobar in CF and Parmelee in RF for a game (not to mention Florimon at SS), he has come in and stabilized that situation nicely.

 

Where would we be if he hadn't stepped into CF and leadoff?

[TheLeviathan]

Sell high during the offseason?  I guess even if he's two-thirds of what he's been going forward there's still tons of value.

 

I really think we have to consider this with Santana or Escobar, but I'd rather gamble on Santana personally.

[teekz]

He keeps hitting like he is, they'll find somewhere for him to play.

[Mike Sixel]

Yesterday on 1500 Ryan said they still view him as a SS. Therefore, imo, their handling of him is all wrong. Can anyone explain it?

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Necessity is the mother of invention. He's in CF because no one else can do it as well, and Eddie is still hitting very well while playing SS. Injuries in the OF and trading Hammer means they are thin in the outfield and they have no room in the infield.

If Escobar could play OF well, he'd be in LF or CF and Santana would be at SS. Santana just happens to be able to play the position that the Twins need him to play.

[Oxtung]

Many here have mentioned that Escobar is hitting the ball so well.  Only that isn't borne out in the statistics.  He had a great May where he had an .841 OPS, however since then he has a .245/.290/.356/.645 slash line.  While that is tolerable if accompanied by great fielding, which is debatable, let's not put him on some pedestal.  He is a mediocre short stop at best. 

 

If Danny Santana is the future at SS as the Twins envision then why isn't he playing there?  Escobar certainly shouldn't be blocking him.  If it is because of the OF situation then claim another OF off waivers or let Escobar/Nunez play out there.  Playing Santana out of position just to get another win (or even three) this season is stupid.

[Willihammer]

They tried Escobar in left field but he was a Bartlett out there. Nunez hasn't been much better. No way should either be put in CF IMO.

 

With Santana, I think it all goes back to the Presley DFA and the repeat mistake of counting on Aaron Hicks out of ST. They did pick up Fuld in April when it became clear Hicks was going to stink again but Gardy wanted 13 pitchers and Santana's dual capacity as infielder/outfielder helped him do that. I also think Gardy wants Santana in the lineup as a switch hitter, speedy, buntable guy. So I think the FO let him keep his guy instead of telling him to go with 12 pitchers and use Fuld in CF.

 

On top of that, Escobar is nearly as young as Santana, a switch hitter, etc - another Gardy piranha basically. So Gardy wants both guys playing, with the better glove at SS (Escobar)