The Book on Carlos Santana

Prospect Info

Carlos Santana
Born 4/8/1986
C, CLE

When he was shipped to Cleveland as a piece in the Casey Blake trade of 2008, catcher Carlos Santana immediately became the Indians' top catching prospect, and the heir apparent to the Victor Martinez / Kelly Shoppach tandem. Well-regarded as a catch-and-throw man in the Dodger system, he busted out offensively last year, hitting .330 in a season split between the Dodgers' and Indians' high-A teams, and swatting 20 home runs in the process. The switch-hitting catcher with the musical name will open 2010 back in AA, where he'll likely be asked to keep sharpening his receiving and game-calling skills before he gets a shot at the Jake. He might get a late-season look in 2010 as a fill-in DH, though.

---

Player Updates and Notes

Carlos Santana will require season-ending knee surgery. The rookie catcher proved he could handle MLB pitching easily, posting an .868 OPS with six homers in his first 150 at-bats in the Bigs, but impressed coaches most by walking more often than he struck out. Already the best hitter in the Indians lineup, his mix of power and patience makes him an certain top ten fantasy catcher heading into 2011, and don't be surprised to see him listed among the top four.

8/5/2010 by KDaddy

---

Carlos Santana continues to rake in his first month of major league ball. After 16 games, he's now hitting a cool .334 with four homers and 14 RBIs. The best offensive catcher of this rookie class, the switch hitting Santana has had no problem adjusting to major league pitching so far. If he keeps this up, he could make a run against a weak Rookie of the Year field in the AL.

6/29/2010 by KDaddy

---

Carlos Santana, wearing Victor Martinez's old #41 and batting third for the Indians, hit his first major league home run last night. The young slugger can be penciled in for 15 or 20 more of those this season, and several hundred in the years to come.

6/13/2010 by KDaddy

---

Hot on the heels of The Buster Posey Project, Carlos Santana will join the Indians for the beginning of interleague play on Friday, and assuming he hits as well as expected, he should stick with the team for the rest of the year. While his defense isn't yet as good as his bat, he's expected to get regular playing time. Unlike Posey, Santana's time should come behind the plate, which should give him plenty of time to refine his catching skills.

6/10/2010 by PeeWee

---

Indians GM Mark Shapiro told a skeptical reporter that Carlos Santana is 'not close' to an MLB callup, because his bat is so far ahead of his defense. 'His offensive ability is so strong that we feel it's important to utilize every day possible in the minor leagues to develop his defense', explained Shapiro, on the same evening the club played him as a designated hitter.

6/3/2010 by PeeWee

---

CBS Sports is reporting that Indians may be on the verge of calling up their top prospect, switch-hitting catcher Carlos Santana. Santana has been one of the best hitters in the International League, hitting 9 home runs so far this season and boasting a league-leading .436 OBP.

5/31/2010 by PeeWee

---

 

 

Back to List