Do the Twins get some credit for Ervin Santana?

[Brock Beauchamp]

I wonder if everyone still thinks he's a #3?

Santana is often a #2 or a #4. I think a lot of people use "#3" as short hand to average out his seasonal performances but the reality is that he's rarely a "pretty good" player. He's usually really good or just acceptable.

[Jerr]

Stats, smats, he is pitching GREAT and I am enjoying it.

Credit to him and the Twins; as to whatever it is..?... it IS, working  

[Doomtints]

 

Yes, we all know Santana was an established veteran when he came to the Twins but the guy has become a much better pitcher since joining the team.

 

2005-2014: 229 games, 99 ERA+, 4.26 FIP, 2.8 BB/9, 7.2 K/9

 

2015-2017: 49 games, 119 ERA+, 3.94 FIP, 2.8 BB/9, 7.1 K/9

 

What, if anything, has changed about this guy? Other than the actual runs allowed, his peripherals look close enough to be irrelevant. But he's been playing in front of some pretty questionable defensive alignments and has posted drastically better runs allowed numbers since becoming a Twin. Normally, I'd say "eh, whatever, stat noise" but we're talking about close to 1 2/3rds seasons now and he's picking up 2017 where he left off in 2016.

 

What gives?

 

I always considered him to be underrated. Not surprised at all. We got lucky in that him being underrated allowed him to fall to the notoriously cheap Twins.

[Willihammer]

He leans less on his fastball and has a viable changeup now.  He found it in Atlanta, maybe something clicked with the pitching coach down there?