Anthony Santander may be probably the most underrated hitter within the American League, at the very least from a nationwide perspective. Overshadowed by the younger expertise on his personal crew, the 29-year-old Baltimore Orioles outfielder has 102 dwelling runs and a 123 wRC+ over the previous three seasons. This 12 months’s numbers are particularly spectacular. A dependable cog in supervisor Brandon Hyde’s lineup — he’s performed in 145 of the crew’s 151 video games — the switch-hitter from Margarita, Venezuela, has hit 41 homers whereas placing up a 129 wRC+ and a club-best 95 RBI this season.
The diploma to which he stays beneath the radar is relative. Santander loved his first All-Star choice this summer season, and he’s at the moment getting elevated consideration resulting from his forthcoming free company. Accolades have nonetheless been in shorter-than-deserved provide, and that features our personal protection right here at FanGraphs. As evidenced by his participant web page, Santander’s title isn’t within the title of any piece we’ve revealed previous to the one you’re studying. Nearly as good as he’s been, that’s one thing that wanted to be corrected.
Santander sat down to speak hitting at some point after smacking his fortieth dwelling run of the season final week at Fenway Park.
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David Laurila: How did you first study to hit, and what has been your growth path from there?
Anthony Santander: “My dad launched me to baseball once I was 4 years outdated, and once I was younger I used to be a pure right-handed hitter. I didn’t begin switch-hitting till I began working to change into a professional once I was 15 or 16. That took a bit of bit, as a result of it was new for me.”
Laurila: Why did you begin switch-hitting?
Santander: “I used to be dealing with loads of righties. It was righty-righty so, ‘OK, let’s seize a bat from the left facet.’ That’s a special angle, so it took a bit, however with loads of reps within the cage, batting observe, and competing in video games, I began studying how one can hit from the left facet.
“I took a step ahead in Excessive-A. That’s once I began to change into a scholar of the sport, studying issues like what the pitcher is making an attempt to do. I might say that’s actually once I discovered how one can hit, once I was in Excessive-A ball.”
Laurila: All these years later, selecting up a baseball bat and swinging it should really feel as pure to you as selecting up a fork and consuming. You’ve completed it so many instances…
Santander: “It’s not that easy. It appears to be like easy, nevertheless it’s not. It takes loads of preparation. Thank God we’ve bought the analytic stuff right here. The coaches assist you a large number. There may be loads of cage work, loads of psychological work.”
Laurila: I used to be planning to ask you about analytics. Do you pay a lot consideration to your exit velocities and launch angles?
Santander: “No. I don’t take note of that in any respect. I simply take note of the analytical stuff in regards to the pitchers, like what they’re making an attempt to do towards you. I do know [my] mechanics as a hitter, and I must go to the cage and work on them, however exit velocity… not that. I prepare with my routine after which go on the market and compete. I don’t take note of these numbers.”
Laurila: Have your mechanics modified a lot through the years?
Santander: “There have been completely different swings. It’s at all times completely different. You may see within the final three years the distinction from the left facet. It’s not my pure facet, so I am going extra for the way the swing is feeling that day. The mechanics for me are robust, as a result of I used to be 16 years outdated, 15 years outdated once I began hitting from the left facet. Mechanically, the whole lot is completely different [based] on how I really feel.”
Laurila: What adjustments? Is it the place you begin your palms? Is it extra your setup?
Santander: “Sure. It’s like, if my palms are larger or decrease… I must get to the hitting place. You can begin no matter you need, however if you stride to a hitting place, you must be in the suitable spot. Typically when your palms are too excessive you don’t get to the spot rapidly. That’s one thing I’m persistently determining. Identical with the leg kick. Typically you’re feeling good with the leg kick excessive, and generally you must shut it down as a result of the pitcher is throwing 200 mph.”
Laurila: Is that solely from the left facet, or is it the suitable facet as properly?
Santander: “Proper-handed is at all times the identical. I can have three, 4, 5 days with out seeing a pitcher from that facet and be able to go. For me, hitting from the suitable facet is extra easy. It’s my dominant arm, so I can go straight and faster to the ball; from the left facet I’m pulling [the left arm] faster, so it’s getting me out of rhythm. This isn’t my dominant arm. [The right arm] desires to manage at all times. That’s why from the suitable facet I could make changes simpler. It’s my throwing arm, so I can dominate the again a lot better. We actually hit from the again; we don’t hit going ahead with the palms. It’s extra keep again, then see the ball.”
Laurila: What about how your physique strikes — the way it rotates — via your swing? Does that differ?
Santander: “Sure. That’s completely different as properly. I’ve bought extra rotation from the left facet. From the suitable facet, I’m a bit of extra extra caught.”
Laurila: Are you a greater hitter from the suitable facet or from the left?
Santander: “That’s a tricky query. I at all times say I’m equal. The numbers say it’s fairly equal, however once more, it’s how you are feeling generally. I at all times say that as a switch-hitter we’ve two brains, as a result of it’s two angles that we’ve to face. And generally you’re struggling from one facet as a result of your physique doesn’t rotate the identical. Like I stated, from the suitable facet, rotation is hard. Like I get caught a bit of bit proper right here with my vary of movement, [whereas] with the left facet it’s extra open.
“From the suitable facet, I can see the ball higher to [hit it to] the alternative area, and I can hit homers to [that] facet. From the left facet, as a result of I’ve bought more room, I’m extra from heart to the suitable area pull facet. It’s uncommon once I hit the ball to the opposite facet from the left facet.”
Laurila: Opposing pitchers clearly know these issues. With that in thoughts, do you principally attempt to follow your strengths, or do you alter accordingly with the way you’re being attacked?
Santander: “It will depend on the pitcher and the motion. If it’s a man like [Brayan] Bello yesterday, he’s bought an enormous sinker and is aware of that I’m a pull hitter, so I’ll attempt to keep extra closed to the large a part of the sector and take a look at to not open up too fast. If I open too fast, I’m going to floor out to second base. So, I attempted to see if I might hit a success a double to the opposite facet. I forgot about [trying to hit a] homer.
“Say it’s is a daily pitcher and the ball doesn’t transfer an excessive amount of away from me. Then possibly I’ll stick with extra aggressiveness to hit the ball to the large half [of the field]. With my rotation, I can take the ball out of the yard, like yesterday [against right-handed reliever Josh Winckowski]. It was a cutter, center, and I acknowledged it on time and simply rotated to it. Then, from the suitable facet, it’s straightforward for me to hit the ball to the alternative area as a result of it’s my dominant hand. I’ve bought way more management with the bat.”
Laurila: The house run you hit yesterday was your fortieth on the season. Are you an influence hitter?
Santander: “All people will say sure, however personally, I really feel like I’m a game-power hitter. Actually, I can’t hit the ball actually far. You see guys like Yordan Alvarez, Juan Soto, Aaron Choose. They hit the ball far. Gunnar Henderson. Adley Rutschman. These guys have pop. They’ll hit it farther than me. Colton Cowser. I joke round with him. ‘Bro, you’re a thin dude. You crush the ball. Wow. How do you do it?’ I don’t have that sort of pop. However I can hit within the recreation.”
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Earlier “Talks Hitting” interviews can discovered via these hyperlinks: Jo Adell, Jeff Albert, Greg Allen, Nolan Arenado, Aaron Bates, Jacob Berry, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Justice Bigbie, Cavan Biggio, Charlie Blackmon, JJ Bleday, Bobby Bradley, Will Brennan, Jay Bruce, Triston Casas, Matt Chapman, Michael Chavis, Garrett Cooper, Gavin Cross, Jacob Cruz, Nelson Cruz, Paul DeJong, Josh Donaldson, Brendan Donovan, Donnie Ecker, Rick Eckstein, Drew Ferguson, Justin Foscue, Michael Fransoso, Ryan Fuller, Joey Gallo, Paul Goldschmidt, Devlin Granberg, Matt Hague, Andy Haines, Mitch Haniger, Robert Hassell III, Austin Hays, Nico Hoerner, Jackson Holliday, Spencer Horwitz, Rhys Hoskins, Eric Hosmer, Jacob Hurtubise, Tim Hyers, Connor Joe, Jace Jung, Josh Jung, Jimmy Kerr, Heston Kjerstad, Steven Kwan, Trevor Larnach, Doug Latta, Royce Lewis, Evan Longoria, Joey Loperfido, Michael Lorenzen, Gavin Lux, Dave Magadan, Trey Mancini, Edgar Martinez, Don Mattingly, Marcelo Mayer, Hunter Mense, Owen Miller, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, Daniel Murphy, Lars Nootbaar, Logan O’Hoppe, Vinnie Pasquantino, Graham Pauley, David Peralta, Luke Raley, Julio Rodríguez, Brent Rooker, Drew Saylor, Nolan Schanuel, Marcus Semien, Giancarlo Stanton, Spencer Steer, Trevor Story, Fernando Tatis Jr., Spencer Torkelson, Mark Trumbo, Brice Turang, Justin Turner, Trea Turner, Josh VanMeter, Robert Van Scoyoc, Chris Valaika, Zac Veen, Alex Verdugo, Mark Vientos, Matt Vierling, Luke Voit, Anthony Volpe, Joey Votto, Christian Walker, Jared Walsh, Jordan Westburg, Jesse Winker, Bobby Witt Jr. Mike Yastrzemski, Nick Yorke, Kevin Youkilis
