Edgar Santana

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #23 prospect in 2018
  Santana didn't play much baseball growing up in the Dominican Republic, and he didn't start pitching until age 19 or sign until age 22. But just three years after signing, he found himself in the major leagues. He shot through the Pirates' system quickly, going from high Class A to Triple-A in 2016, then earning a callup in June 2017 after a dominant start at Triple-A Indianapolis. Santana's fastball sits around 95 mph and is effective when it has downward plane, but he sometimes runs into trouble when it's flat. His slider is his go-to pitch, however. It has a lot of sharp, side-to-side break, but he can get it over for a strike just as easily as he can use it for a chase pitch. Much like Dovydas Neverauskas, Santana has a chance to find his way to the Pirates' bullpen, but he also has the arm endurance to be used in multi-inning relief. The versatility should allow him much more opportunity to be part of the major league staff in some way in 2018.