Cleveland Guardians free agent acquisition Carlos Santana is showing he is still a well above-average player even at 39.
He is also proving that he was worth every dollar the Guardians spent to bring him in.
As of Tuesday morning, the steady first baseman is hitting a cool .248/.343/.378 with eight home runs and a 109 wRC+.
At first glance, that’s solid, if unspectacular offensive production.
However, considering the dire situation in Cleveland, he looks like prime Jim Thome.
All kidding aside, Santana took a while to get going but has now reached a consistent level of excellence at the plate, where his on-base skills are an asset.
“Cleveland #Guardians (1B) Carlos Santana over his last 41 games. 38-136, 22R, 4(2B), 6HR, 27RBI, 23BB, AVG .279, OBP .385, SLG .441, OPS .826,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Cleveland #Guardians (1B) Carlos Santana over his last 41 games.
38-136 22R 4(2B) 6HR 27RBI 23BB
AVG .279
OBP .385
SLG .441
OPS .826#GuardsBall— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) June 16, 2025
Santana might have cooled off a bit in his last seven games, as he’s hitting .192/.222/.308 over that stretch, but we just can’t ignore what he has done in his last 41.
He has been a well above-average hitter over that span and has given the Guardians a second steady producer behind Jose Ramirez.
Santana might not have 30-homer power like he used to back in the day, but he is getting on base at a high clip and that goes a long way in improving any lineup.
Couple this with his excellent defense and work ethic and you have a building block for 2025.
It will all depend on how well the Guardians play in the upcoming weeks, but Santana could either be a key cog in an impressive postseason run or be seen as trade bait come late July.
NEXT: Guardians Key Player Is Showing Signs Of Life At The Plate
