Estarlin De Los Santos Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1539
AVG	.233
OBP	.291
SLG	.306
HR	7

Full name Estarlin De Los Santos
Born 01/20/1987 in Villa Mella, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: S / Throws: R

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

De los Santos has battled injuries over the last two seasons but showed the Twins enough to merit inclusion on the 40-man roster in the offseason. An elbow injury that didn't require surgery sidelined him until June in 2008, and a stress fracture in his leg kept him out of the lineup for two months last year. The leg injury cost him speed and upside, as he now projects more as a bottom-of-the-lineup hitter rather than as a tablesetting leadoff hitter. He lacks the patience for such a role anyway. De los Santos does have a quick bat and a line-drive swing, and he's still an above-average runner with the range, hands and plus-plus arm to play shortstop at the big league level. He's the best of the system's shortstops who have reached the full-season level. A switch-hitter, he has performed better from the right side. He needs to improve his consistency in the field and his short game (basestealing, bunting, etc.), and could evolve into an effective utility player. He already plays second base well enough, and the outfield and third base shouldn't be a stretch considering his tools and arm strength. His solid start to winter ball in the Dominican cemented his 40-man spot. Now de los Santos will try to stay healthy for a full season, likely at Double-A.
The Twins haven't developed a homegrown shortstop since Pat Meares in the late 1990s, acquiring the likes of Cristian Guzman and Jason Bartlett in trades. De los Santos is the toolsiest shortstop in the system and has made major strides offensively to put himself on the prospect map before reaching full-season ball. He tied for the Appalachian League lead with 60 runs and ranked third with 27 steals last year, even though he tired and finished the season in a 2-for-42 slump (including the playoffs). A slashing switch-hitter, de los Santos takes advantage of his line-drive swing from the left side, using his plus-plus speed, and he has decent raw power. He's just not selective enough to get pitches he can drive yet. Defensively, de los Santos needs better footwork and may not have soft enough hands to stay at shortstop. However, his arm rates an easy 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. His overall defensive package might profile better in center field, but the Twins could use him at shortstop, so he'll have ample opportunity to stick there. He should open 2008 in low Class A.
The Phillies' shortstop prospect train rolls on with de los Santos, who began his career as a third baseman. He possesses solid shortstop instincts and average range and arm strength. His inconsistent bat also helped force the move off the hot corner. De los Santos epitomizes streaky at the plate. He hit well over .400 in extended spring training last year before plummeting to .222 once he repeated the Gulf Coast League. De los Santos plays with a lot of emotion, and sometimes it takes over. If he strikes out in his first at-bat of a game, he's a good bet to add a few more K's to the boxscore in subsequent plate appearances. As he matures and learns to deal with the successes and failures inherent in baseball, he could come around at the plate. He might never become a .300 hitter, but the Phillies would settle for his consistent glovework and a .260 average with 10 homers. How he handles short-season ball in 2003 should be telling.

Minor League Top Prospects

A switch-hitter, de los Santos struggled with the bat but shone elsewhere. He ranked third in the league with 27 stolen bases in 34 attempts and was the most dazzling defensive shortstop in the league. "He made some plays that are just God-given ability plays, in the hole, off balance, throwing a laser across the diamond," Nelson said. "I can see it like it happened yesterday. That will forever stick out in my mind." De los Santos reads balls off the bat well, and he has quick hands and a plus arm. He needs to figure out his offensive identity, as he struck out too much and hit too many flyballs when he did make contact. A better approach and improved bunting ability would allow him to make better use of his speed.