It’s been an interesting odyssey for Carlos Santana in his eight and half seasons in the Cleveland Indians organization. Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in July of 2008 for Casey Blake, Santana has run the gauntlet from top prospect to rookie sensation, maligned slugger to on-base machine, afterthought to leadoff hitter.
There are two facts about Santana that his detractors tend attempt to ignore:
- He has been the most consistent hitter in Cleveland’s lineup since his first full season in 2011.
- He’s enjoying the best season of his career in 2016.
To the first point, the 30-year old native of the Dominican Republic averaged a 3.