Anthony Santander may be essentially the most underrated hitter within the American League, no less than from a nationwide perspective. Overshadowed by the younger expertise on his personal workforce, the 29-year-old Baltimore Orioles outfielder has 102 dwelling runs and a 123 wRC+ over the previous three seasons. This yr’s numbers are particularly spectacular. A dependable cog in supervisor Brandon Hyde’s lineup — he’s performed in 145 of the workforce’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 presently getting elevated consideration because of 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 identify isn’t within the title of any piece we’ve printed previous to the one you’re studying. Pretty much as good as he’s been, that’s one thing that wanted to be corrected.
Santander sat down to speak hitting sooner or later 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 improvement path from there?
Anthony Santander: “My dad launched me to baseball once I was 4 years previous, 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 just a little bit, as a result of it was new for me.”
Laurila: Why did you begin switch-hitting?
Santander: “I used to be going through plenty of righties. It was righty-righty so, ‘OK, let’s seize a bat from the left facet.’ That’s a unique angle, so it took a bit, however with plenty of reps within the cage, batting observe, and competing in video games, I began studying 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 hit, once I was in Excessive-A ball.”
Laurila: All these years later, choosing up a baseball bat and swinging it should really feel as pure to you as choosing up a fork and consuming. You’ve performed it so many instances…
Santander: “It’s not that easy. It appears to be like easy, however it’s not. It takes plenty of preparation. Thank God we’ve received the analytic stuff right here. The coaches assist you a large number. There may be plenty of cage work, plenty 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 concerning the pitchers, like what they’re making an attempt to do in opposition to 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 over time?
Santander: “There have been totally different swings. It’s all the time totally different. You possibly can 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 previous, 15 years previous once I began hitting from the left facet. Mechanically, every thing is totally 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 increased 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 precise spot. Generally when your palms are too excessive you don’t get to the spot rapidly. That’s one thing I’m constantly determining. Similar with the leg kick. Generally 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 precise facet as nicely?
Santander: “Proper-handed is all the time 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 precise 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 regulate all the time. That’s why from the precise facet I could make changes simpler. It’s my throwing arm, so I can dominate the again significantly 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 totally different as nicely. I’ve received extra rotation from the left facet. From the precise facet, I’m just a little extra extra caught.”
Laurila: Are you a greater hitter from the precise facet or from the left?
Santander: “That’s a tricky query. I all the time say I’m equal. The numbers say it’s fairly equal, however once more, it’s how you are feeling generally. I all the time say that as a switch-hitter we now have two brains, as a result of it’s two angles that we now have 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 precise facet, rotation is hard. Like I get caught just a little bit proper right here with my vary of movement, [whereas] with the left facet it’s extra open.
“From the precise 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 received more room, I’m extra from middle to the precise 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 stick with your strengths, or do you regulate accordingly with the way you’re being attacked?
Santander: “It relies on the pitcher and the motion. If it’s a man like [Brayan] Bello yesterday, he’s received a giant 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 an everyday pitcher and the ball doesn’t transfer an excessive amount of away from me. Then perhaps 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 precise 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 received far more management with the bat.”
Laurila: The house run you hit yesterday was your fortieth on the season. Are you an influence hitter?
Santander: “Everyone will say sure, however personally, I really feel like I’m a game-power hitter. Truthfully, 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 form of pop. However I can hit within the sport.”
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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