It is no secret to anyone that’s talked baseball with me in the last year or so that I’ve been waiting patiently for Carlos Santana to lead off for the Cleveland Indians. The idea is a wee bit unorthodox, but with a team still feeling out its new dynamic at the plate, Los at the top couldn’t make more sense, and what makes it even better? It’s actually working.
At an event in early 2015, I had the pleasure of talking with Terry Francona about this very thing, and he had told me that the idea was new and different and had recently been on his mind too. The little fan-girl inside me squeaked happily that the Indians manager was on the same page I was, as he continued to say that “it would be a move no one would expect, and that could be used to our advantage.” At that point, Santana had come off of the 2014 season with 113 walks and a .365 OBP, the second highest that season behind LF Michael Brantley; if you’re only counting everyday players. This got the gears in my head turning, that maybe the conventional idea of having a fast lead off might not always be the best to go with, and maybe, just maybe, the pure talent of just getting on base could be the key to something big.
Last season, it was a similar year for the then 1B, finishing the year with 103 walks and a .357 OBP. It was starting to become obvious that he had a wonderful eye at the plate, but there seemed to be a disconnect somewhere between what he was seeing and when he was swinging. On the surface, it was frustrating, because along with leading the Indians in walks, he also led the team in strike outs (246 SO over 2014-15). Part of his talent seemed to be getting wasted, and at times it was apparent to fans that even he was getting annoyed. But, looking back it now feels to me like he was just proving his case evermore that his talent wasn’t being wasted, just misplaced.
Since the first day Carlos was put at the top of the batting order, it’s as if a switch had been flipped on and from his first at bat, he’s been locked in. Tigers’ Ace Justin Verlander was on the mound, it was a 3-2 count at Comerica Park and Santana hit a bomb to right field. A few weeks and wins later, he went yard again, off a pitch from Kansas City Royals starter Edinson Volquez to right, continuing the shutdown of everyone who believed he would be a “horrible” lead-off hitter (Nick Wilson is excused from “everyone”). In the nine games he’s set the tone for the Tribe, #LeadOffLos is batting a .294 with two home runs, four RBI, seven walks and a steal. It doesn’t seem like much, especially compared to his overall .224 average, but seeing as before being moved he was hitting a .174 and has since peeked at .244, something is obviously working. Not just for him, but also for the Indians as a whole, who are 8-1 with him at the top, three of those wins being the first sweep of the Tigers in Detroit for the first time since 2008.
Naturally, because I’ve been waiting for this move since early 2015, my tiny-self grew an ego seven feet tall, more built on pride than anything. Santana had done exactly what I knew he was capable of, and worked the situation that Francona hoped he would. It was a shot in the dark, and that dark has completely been lit up by the bat of the Indians former frustration turned super stud at the plate. The question is, will he continue to play into this new role and stay hot? Or revert to his old ways and ride on streaks and walks after a time? Who knows, it’s baseball, sit back at the table he’s set for Cleveland and enjoy the offerings until you’re fat and happy, because you never know when seconds will be hard to come by.
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