Mid-June of last year on the third day of the draft, nearly 48 hours after selecting Evan White in the first round of the 2017 MLB First Year Player Draft, the Mariners dove into the pool of available players looking to make a splash with their 19th-round-pick, and resurfaced with Kevin Santa, a shortstop from the University of Tampa. The 5’10” Puerto Rican was out to eat with his family back home when his brother saw his name appear as a Mariners selection, upon which the family shared cheers and tears in celebrating his success. Tampa--which has been something of a NCAA Division II powerhouse for much of the 2000’s--produced seven draft picks in the 2017 draft, Santa being the first to go after his teammate RHP Garrett Cave was taken off the board in the fourth round.
Kevin Santa: the Mariners’ next top shortstop prospect
