Just a few days ago, Cleveland Guardians fans were complaining about first baseman Carlos Santana on X.
Some of them were clamoring for him to be designated for assignment, just a few weeks into the season, knowing he is usually a slow starter.
The steady veteran, however, appears to be hitting his stride, just in time for the Guardians to make a run at first place in the AL Central.
They are currently 22-15, a game and a half behind the Detroit Tigers for the top spot, aided by Santana’s recent productive run.
The numbers, as always, speak for themselves.
Look whose bat is starting to heat up!#GuardsBall | #Guardians pic.twitter.com/wncILXTNtl
— Cleveland Guardians On SI (@GuardiansOnSI) May 8, 2025
In his last 11 games dating back to April 26, the free agent signing is slashing a cool .314/.444/.514 with a .959 OPS.
That is good for a 178 wRC+, an amazing mark even if the sample is very small.
Over that span, Santana has more walks than strikeouts, which is the mark of an elite hitter with top-end knowledge of the strike zone, and two home runs.
Santana is showing that he is far from finished as a reliable MLB contributor, even at 39 years old.
He started the season a bit cold, which is why his wRC+ is still a bit below the league average at 96.
He is getting there, though, and is starting to turn things around not only on the field but also in the minds of Guardians fans who were virtually throwing him to the curb just a couple of weeks ago.
The best Guardians’ lineup in 2025 has Santana taking competitive at-bats in a prime, middle-of-the-order spot.
NEXT: Bruce Drennan Asks Burning Question About Guardians Starter
