Baltimore Orioles: Anthony Santander enjoying breakout season

The Baltimore Orioles have been a pleasant surprise thus far. Anthony Santander has been a major reason why.

The Rule V Draft may not be a place where many future stars can be found, but occasionally a player can slip through the cracks. That may be the case with Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander, who was taken from the Indians in the 2016 Rule V Draft.

After struggling in his brief major league trials in 2017 and 2018, Santander served notice that he was ready to be a part of the Orioles rebuild. After being recalled from the majors at the beginning of June in 2019, he posted a respectable .261/.297/.476 batting line in 405 plate appearances, hitting 20 homers and 20 doubles.

As promising as that season was, there were some concerns. Santander did not show any patience at the plate whatsoever, swinging if the ball was anywhere near the strike zone. His aggressive approach led to just 19 walks, but he also struck out only 89 times. His 21.2% strikeout rate was just below the league average, an interesting mark for someone who was so aggressive.

With the Orioles looking for young building blocks, 2020 was going to be a crucial season for Santander. Thus far, he has proven that he could build on his solid 2019 campaign, as he has posted a .260/.289/.548 batting line with seven doubles and four homers in 76 plate appearances. His 19 RBI are second in the AL, trailing only Aaron Judge.

The aggressiveness at the plate has continued, as Santander has just two walks. However, he has decreased his strikeout rate, striking out in just 13.2% of his plate appearances. He has swung at the first pitch 56.6% of the time, and has made contact on pitches outside the strike zone on 72.4% of his swings.

It will be interesting to see how teams adjust. With his aggression early in the count, and willingness to chase, there is no reason to throw Santander a strike. While his contact rate outside the zone has been impressive, he will need to prove he can continue that for the year.

At this point, Anthony Santander is in the midst of a breakout season. Once the league adjusts, it will be interesting to see if he can continue that performance.