Sergio Santos Stats & Scouting Report

IP	183
ERA	3.984
WHIP	1.328
BB/9	4.328
SO/9	11.164

Full name Sergio Jose Santos
Born 07/04/1983 in Los Angeles, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Mater Dei
Debut 04/08/2010
Drafted in the 1st round (27th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2002 (signed for $1,400,000).

View Draft Report

Santos has a fair share of supporters and detractors. He has been known to scouts since he was a sophomore from his time at Mater Dei High, one of the nation's best-known high schools for sports, at major showcases and with Team USA's junior national team. He looked like a cinch first-round pick as a senior, as scouts pictured a big, strong shortstop in the mold of Alex Rodriguez. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, he has an ideal major league body but his offensive game has not developed as expected. He doesn't drive the ball with any consistency, which becomes more important if he has to move to third base, as expected. Santos is smooth and polished, but his glove and speed are considered average at best. He has arm strength and it is a treat to watch him throw during infield, but his other tools always seem to play best in a showcase environment. He runs the 60 in 6.7 seconds but has a big swing and is slow getting down the line. He has nice hands and quick reactions, yet doesn't play shortstop with a lot of energy. He shows only occasional power. Santos has committed to Southern California and could end up there if he is not drafted in the first round, which now looks like less than a 50-50 proposition.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Sometimes it takes awhile to find your true calling. After the White Sox signed him as a minor league infielder a year ago, Santos heads to spring training in 2010 with an outside chance to earn a spot in their big league bullpen. A first-round pick of the Diamondbacks in 2002, he never hit well enough to reach the big leagues but always had a cannon for an arm. Arizona traded him and Troy Glaus to get Orlando Hudson and Miguel Batista from the Blue Jays in December 2005, and the Twins claimed him off waivers in May 2008. Chicago approached Santos with the idea of pitching last spring, but he wasn't ready. The Sox traded him to the Giants at the end of spring training, but when San Francisco were about to release him, he returned with an open mind and tackled pitching at extended spring training. He reported to Kannapolis on May 31 and has moved quicker than even the Sox imagined--because he can pitch in the high 90s. He earned an assignment to the Arizona Fall League, where he worked out of the bullpen, and both his peak fastball velocity (99 mph) and average velocity (96 mph) were second only to Stephen Strasburg in the prospect-heavy circuit. Santos throws a slider and changeup, both of which need improvement, but he has a good feel for pitching given his inexperience. The White Sox added him to the 40-man roster after the season because they were sure another team would take him in the major league Rule 5 draft if they didn't protect him. He'll probably open 2010 in the Charlotte bullpen but could move up quickly.
Not much went right for Santos in his first year in the organization after coming over in the trade that sent Miguel Batista and Orlando Hudson to Arizona for Troy Glaus. Renowned as an amateur for his power, Santos has struggled to do much of anything with the bat in two seasons in Triple-A, though he did have a 20-game hitting streak in 2006 and flashed as much raw power as any Syracuse batter. Quality breaking balls fool Santos--he batted just .194 against righthanders--and his swing gets out of whack when he tries too hard to make things happen. He needs to do a better job of identifying hittable pitches and of getting his legs underneath him on his swing. His plus-plus arm strength and accuracy were evident, however, and he has the best infield arm in the system. Though he makes most routine plays, Santos' average wheels limit his range at shortstop, a problem compounded by Syracuse's rough-hewn artificial turf. He might profile better at second or third base, but his future hinges on his ability to hit at this point. Santos will try to get going again at Triple-A this year.
Arizona continually has pushed Santos since it drafted him in 2002's first round, and he finally hit a wall at Triple-A in 2005. He didn't get his average above .200 until late May, and he hit only one home run after July 1. Santos' pure tools remain impressive despite his poor performance. He has plus bat speed and good power for a shortstop. While he slumped at the plate, he did improve significantly in the field. Santos has soft hands and an above-average arm, and he made great strides in his reads and work on double plays. Santos overreacted to his slow start and fell apart mechanically, leaving him susceptible to inside pitches and completely inept against lefthanders (.148 average). While he has a quick first step at shortstop, his speed limits his range, and he may be better suited for third base. Despite his rough season, most scouts still see significant potential in Santos. Clearly not ready for the majors, he'll return to Triple-A. If Stephen Drew is assigned to Tucson, Santos will move to a different position to accommodate him.
Santos first popped up on scouts' radar as a high school sophomore, but a disappointing senior season seemingly dropped him out of the first round. The Diamondbacks bucked the consensus by taking him 27th overall based on his track record, and they've looked smart for doing so. He reached Double-A at age 20 and was having a solid season until it was ended by surgery on his non-throwing shoulder. Santos' profile is that of the new breed of shortstop--big, strong and athletic. His pure bat speed is among the best in the system, and he has shown some aptitude for driving the ball. He makes the plays he gets to at shortstop and has one of the better infield arms among Arizona farmhands. He's an average runner. While Santos seems certain to hit, his long-term position remains in question. He may outgrow shortstop and his range probably fits better at third base anyway. His power and arm still profile well for the hot corner. An aggressive hitter, he needs to draw more walks. Santos' shoulder has bothered him throughout his pro career and the Diamondbacks believe it has held him back offensively and defensively. They believe he's on the verge of a breakout and have no intention of moving him off shortstop at this time. He could be their big league starter at short in 2006.
Scouts viewed Santos as an elite prospect when he was a high school sophomore. His senior year didn't live up to billing, so he slipped to the 27th overall pick, where Arizona was more than happy to pay $1.4 million to keep him from attending Southern California. He earned a promotion to Double-A El Paso less than a month after his 20th birthday. Santos brings a full toolbox to the field, as well as tremendous enthusiasm and confidence. His strength and power stand out. Santos also makes adjustments at the plate. A big-bodied shortstop like Alex Rodriguez, he has a cannon arm to go with solid feet and range. Santos has made 62 errors in 11⁄2 pro seasons. His arm allows him to wait longer on balls, resulting in bad hops or rushed throws, and his hands aren't great for short. Many scouts forecast a move to third base or the outfield. He also could be more patient at the plate, which would help unleash his power potential. Santos and Arizona want him to stay at short, though his bat will play anywhere. He'll return to Double-A to start 2004.
Santos may have been the victim of overexposure. He was identified as a top prospect by the time he was a high school sophomore, and scouts expected more than he delivered as a senior. Arizona drafted him 27th overall and used a $1.4 million bonus to sign him away from a scholarship to Southern California. Santos has prodigious power, which he displayed by driving balls to all parts of the park in a private workout at Bank One Ballpark prior to the 2002 draft. He hadn't shown consistent pop in high school. Santos has a compact swing and can make adjustments. His instincts and makeup are solid, and they enhance his average speed and defensive tools. His arm strength is a plus. Santos still has to learn to play balls off wood bats, and his 28 errors ranked third in the Pioneer League. Considering his size and that he's still growing, he probably will get too big for shortstop and have to move to second or third base. His swing can get long, hampering his ability to make contact. Santos has enough power for any position and will be a middle-of-the- order hitter in the majors, perhaps as early as 2005. He'll spend this year in Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Santos was moving quickly before a left shoulder injury slowed him this season. He went on the disabled list for good in July after playing through the pain for four months, but still showed off two well-above-average tools: his raw power and his arm. Some scouts grade both tools as 70 on the 20-80 scale. Santos overcompensated for his injury at times, trying various stances and holding his hands differently. The injury also affected his range and play at shortstop, leaving him tentative. Coolbaugh wants to see a healthy Santos play at short before writing him off there.
Santos was a high profile high school prospect since his sophomore season but scouts soured on him a bit when he struggled at the plate as a senior. The Diamondbacks were pleasantly surprised to find Santos near the bottom of the first round in 2002 and he has been on the fast track since, proving skeptics wrong. "He played better than I thought he would coming out of high school," a National League scout said. "He's adjusted real well at the plate, showing he can hit the ball where it is pitched and go to the opposite field." Scouts expect Santos to be another player on the move because he doesn't have the arm strength, footwork and quickness for shortstop. He currently has a line-drive approach now but shows enough power potential to handle a shift to third base.
Santos, the Diamondbacks' first round pick this year, really likes to play and his love for the game was evident. He has five-tool potential, and his bat and power potential stood out the most--especially late in the season. Santos finished with a flourish, hitting .302-6-22 in August. "Most of his outs are liners and deep fly balls," Missoula manager Jack Howell said. "He has the ability to cut his swing down, put the ball in play and get on with his speed." Santos' size makes an eventual move to third base likely, though one manager said he'd make a nice big, offensive second baseman. He struggled getting used to fielding the ball off wood bats and committed 28 errors, the third-highest total in the league. Santos has a strong arm but needs to charge more balls and get more consistent.