One of 15 players signed by San Diego for at least $300,000 during the 2017-18 international period, Santana quickly has emerged as the organization’s most promising prospect from the class. A natural shortstop who also projects well at the plate, he garnered Dominican Summer League All-Star honors during his pro debut and then broke out offensively in the 2019 Rookie-level Arizona League, slashing .346/.429/.494 at age 18.
Santana’s selectively aggressive approach is advanced for a player his age, and he has already shown that he can do damage on pitches in the zone. He has a solid foundation for development, possessing a blend of bat speed, patience and feel for the barrel, with remaining physical projection that points toward future power gains. Santana has proven difficult to strike out early in his career, showing a penchant for quality opposite-field contact.
Defensively, Santana looks like a future big league shortstop: he’s twitchy and athletic, with smooth actions, plus arm strength and plenty of range, and he already plays the position with confidence. Those qualities all give Santana realistic floor value in the big leagues, and there’s everyday-shortstop upside in the profile should his hitting ability and power both reach fruition.
