Orioles reset: How Anthony Santander overcame slow start to fuel summer power surge

HOUSTON — Anthony Santander loves the warm weather.

When he needs to fully wake up in the morning, he doesn’t turn to coffee or energy drinks. The Venezuelan native steps outside to soak up the sun, drawing his energy from the warm air. So, it’s no surprise he puts up some of his best numbers during the hot summer months.

That trend has been as evident as ever in 2024 as Santander has shaken off a slow start to the season by turning in one of the best stretches of his career. He has launched 11 home runs so far in June — most in the majors over that span. Since wrapping up a late-May series against the St. Louis Cardinals with a .695 OPS, the veteran outfielder has raised that figure to .808 while joining teammate Gunnar Henderson as two of five MLB players to already reach the 20-homer mark.

“The good thing about me is there’s no pressure,” Santander said. “I understand this is a tough game. You miss seven out of 10, you’re still one of the best, right? So, you have to [keep] positive confidence, and then just keep working hard because we don’t control the result. Well, at some point we know that those results are going to come, and thank God that that comfort gives me the chance to get back to my rhythm, and now we just have to maintain.”

Santander orchestrated his turnaround by going back to the basics. According to offensive strategy coach Cody Asche, he made “some slight swing tweaks” around the time of the St. Louis series. Santander then got to work in the batting cage, focusing first on timing up his swing with high-velocity fastballs. Once he nailed down his timing, he was able to better recognize breaking balls.

“I think as hitters go on through their careers, and every season is a little bit different, and I think Tony just took some time at the beginning of the year to figure out who he was and how he was going to operate,” Asche said. “Tony’s strength is that he’s really intelligent. He knows how pitchers are going to attack him.”

His approach against fastballs has paid off handsomely. According to Statcast, Santander is hitting .302 against that pitch this month, up from .244 in May and .125 in March and April. He’s crushing them, too, steadily improving his average exit velocity as the season has progressed. Seven of his home runs this month have come against fastballs.

It also hasn’t mattered where pitchers have thrown them. Santander is an anomaly when it comes to producing power from all corners of the strike zone — as well as beyond it. Nine of his 20 home runs this season have been on pitches outside the zone, the most in MLB and nearly double the next closest players (Henderson and Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers each have five).

“Tony is a really special hitter because most guys when you see them hit a home run it’s because the pitcher made a mistake,” longtime teammate Austin Hays said. “When Tony goes on the runs like he’s on right now, he can hit a homer on a ball out of the zone, anywhere. It can be two balls off and he can pull it out. It can be two balls above the zone and he’ll hit it out to dead center. It can be, honestly, off the plate like it would hit the plate if he took it, and he’ll hit it out.”

Santander’s surge has caught the attention of the rest of the league, with the switch hitter receiving the fifth-most votes among American League outfielders in MLB’s first All-Star fan voting update. Despite establishing himself as a legitimate power threat over the last six seasons, Santander has never made an All-Star Game. If he can keep his production up over the next few weeks, that drought could finally come to an end. The Orioles certainly expect him to do it. Summer has only just begun after all.

“Personally, I don’t think the league in general really appreciates him as much as they should, especially coming into the All-Star-type stuff,” Asche said. “That would be my guy.”

What’s to come?

The Orioles return home this week for an exciting slate of games against the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians and defending World Series champion Texas Rangers. The Guardians, who enter the series on a five-game winning streak, have emerged as one of the best teams in baseball behind a pesky lineup and dominant pitching. The Rangers haven’t had a great start to their World Series title defense, but their roster remains talented — three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer made his season debut Sunday and allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings — and this series will be the two teams’ first meeting since Texas swept the Orioles out of the AL Division Series in October.

What was good?

There was a lot to like about the Orioles’ play in the Yankees series. After losing a close game in the opener Monday, they responded by pulling off a back-and-forth win in extra innings before routing New York, 17-5, in the finale Wednesday. For as good as the Yankees have been this season — they hold the best record in baseball and a 1 1/2 game lead over Baltimore in the division — they haven’t had their way with the Orioles, who lead the season series 5-2.

What wasn’t?

It was a bad week for the Orioles’ rotation. Not only did Kyle Bradish undergo season-ending Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, but the five remaining starters put together a poor turn. They combined for a 7.52 ERA and Corbin Burnes was the lone starter to go more than five innings. Dean Kremer is set to return soon from a triceps strain, but even he struggled in his rehabilitation start Saturday and might need to make another after he lasted 2/3 of an inning and threw 39 pitches.

On the farm

Days after losing Jackson Holliday to an elbow injury, Triple-A Norfolk welcomed another top Orioles prospect back to the lineup in Coby Mayo. The infielder missed just over a month with a rib injury he sustained on a fall into the third base dugout while trying to make a catch in foul territory. He has returned in style, going 7-for-20 as he picked up right where he left off. With no timetable offered for Holliday’s absence, Mayo could be the next top prospect to get the call to the majors if a spot were to become available.