Ramon Santiago, super sub
by Kurt Mensching on Oct 28, 2010 6:01 AM EDT
in Detroit Tigers Analysis
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PrintEvery weekday between now and mid-November, we'll be looking closer at a Tigers player. For more information on the series, including a schedule, please check this post out.
A question that comes up a lot among folks who like to talk about the Tigers: Why do the Tigers never give him a chance to start full time? I mean, it's not like they're trotting All-Star shortstops out there. Adam Everett didn't even make it through half the season this year because he hit so poorly. Why not give "Razor" an opportunity to start if that's your alternative?
The common answer: Santiago wears down as the season goes on. Another answer that I think is just as likely? They like his flexibility. Playing in 112 games in 2010, he logged time at both middle infield positions. In the past, he has played third base as well.
His batting is below average, even for a middle infielder. He gets on base a fair amount , but shows little power.
It's his fielding that makes him valuable. At the worst, he's been about average for a middle infielder by Ultimate Zone Rating over the past few years, though of course standard warnings about sample size apply when using that stat. He was above average at both second and short his year.
I think Santiago is the kind of player a team needs off its bench to succeed. (I know he's not the first I've said this about, but it remains true for all who I've mentioned.) Whether or not you want to see him start is another question.
As a utilityman, he's definitely a B. Using the same scale I've applied to the other players this season, however, he rates a C.
At the plate:
| Year | Age | Tm | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 30 | DET | 112 | 367 | 320 | 38 | 84 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 2 | 30 | 56 | .263 | .337 | .325 | .662 | 82 |
This season he walked more, struck out less and hit a slightly-higher line drive rate than normal. But obviously, his power numbers were pretty bad, as shown by a .325 slugging average (for a .062 isolated power).
Interestingly, for his career he has hit better as a left-handed batter against right-handed pitching, but in 2010 those splits were reversed. He had a .763 OPS against lefties and a .635 against righties.
If you want circumstantial evidence Santiago is better when his playing time is chosen wisely, took at his OPS by games played the past few years:
2008 -- 58 games -- .870
2009 -- 93 games -- .774
2010 -- 112 games -- .662
Don't go looking for batting average on balls in play or anything else to explain that either. Simply put, his power numbers dropped every single season.
Remember, correlation does not imply causation. Maybe Santiago just had an off-year. Maybe his numbers in 2008 were high not because he was used sparingly, but because the sample size was not big enoughto allow them to settle closer to his natural talent.
All we know for sure: he was below-average in 2010, no matter the position.
In the field:
As I mentioned in introduction, Santiago's fielding numbers had been about average in the past. He seemed a stable infielder. You knew what to expect. Maybe he was going to make every play and maybe he's make a mistake here or there, but you didn't have to think too much when he was in the field. In the past season, his defensive numbers (by Ultimate Zone Rating) improved to well above average.
In the 2010 Scouting Report by the fans, Santiago was viewed as an above-average fielder across the board -- but not great. He has good instincts, decent speed, nice hands, and strong throwing-accuracy. Arm-strength is seen as average.
What 2010 tells us about 2011:
Santiago finished the season with his worst power numbers since 2006. Will he be able to bounce back from that?
It's hard to say. His batted-ball types bounce around from year-to-year, and this season was clearly within the acceptable range given his career. So he could actually go either way next year. Given he'll be turning 32-years-old before the end of the season, I guess conservatively speaking you'd bet on a decline.
As well, his fielding numbers were abnormally high compared to his career, so you'd expect a decline there too.
Should he be viewed as a starter candidate? I'd like to say yes, but I have to side with our friend Ian Casslberry, who sponsors Santiago's Baseball-Reference page with this quote:
Maybe not good enough to be Detroit's full-time shortstop, but Ramon Santiago provides stability to the Tigers' middle infield.
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Pretty much
every team in the universe has their own version of Ramon Santiago. can’t expect the utility subs of the world to do much more than catch the ball and dependably redirect it.
Finally some one gives Santiago the credit he deserves!!!
He gets clutch hits too. I kike Rhymes/Peralta/Inge/Worth/Santiago with Sizemore/Douglas first up in a DL.
by StephenGrosberg on Oct 28, 2010 9:01 AM EDT reply actions
Clutch? Says who?
Ramon is pretty clearly below average in scoring runners.
Dude’s got an average WAR for a sub (around 2), and that’s because he’s an average sub. But an average sub is a below-average baseball player, so he needs a C- or D+.
Gets a C.
He is our infield sub.
We only need one guy for this job, but it seems we have a few others like him on the roster.
+1
True but
Santiago should be able to play 3B, 2B, or SS and should probably see plenty of action to stay fresh doing this. I guess the only worry is that if he’s really the only guy that is capable of playing those positions, what happens if he’s already in the game giving someone a rest and somebody gets injured. Since they’re giving us space to carry 25 guys, and we have 13 position players, I guess two of them can play infield.
Next season, it looks like Santiago will probably have either another backup SS or 2B in the mix. I guessing that either Worh makes the team or both Sizemore and Rhymes make the team. I think it will be one of the more interesting (late) spring training decisions.
Granderson was my Tiger, then Sizemore, then Willis. Since they're all gone, I'm taking Raburn and hoping the pattern holds.
I gave him a C
Say what you want but to make a couple million bucks working part time and traveling the country doesnt suck. He is/has been a MLB player. I would say roster spot #25 works for this guy. He’s a player you can afford to keep if you have all the pieces working for you. There enlies the problem. Our left side of the infield in weak, and, forseeably now, the catching postion is going to be weak in hitting as well. That leaves a lot offense to work for the outfiled, a DH, and miggy. But I will say as a sub Ramon has done his job, we didnt keep him for his bat so we shouldnt knock what his bat is or isnt. Any offense he gives us is extra. A dependable player.
Oddly . . .
. . . we used to talk about Omar Infante in essentially the same terms as we do Santiago. Somebody finally gave Omar 500 AB this year, and he ended up 3rd in the NL in batting . . .
by rea on Oct 28, 2010 9:32 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
B
I’ve been grading based on role, so I guess I’ll keep it up.
Santiago does a good job in playing backup 2b, ss, 3b. His glove is steady at all 3 positions and he’s a playable bat on offense. I don’t think he’ll have as much appeal now that he won’t be hitting 80 points higher than the guy playing in front of him, so we won’t be hearing the chants of “Start Santiago” nearly as often if Peralta or whomever is playing SS is hitting something closer to .250.
Granderson was my Tiger, then Sizemore, then Willis. Since they're all gone, I'm taking Raburn and hoping the pattern holds.
I agree. As a utility man, he gets a B, but as a SS, he gets a C.
Yup, that means I think he’s a league average shortstop.
That UZR of 10.1 is one of the top three in the league.
Let’s not forget that Pacman filled in as the Tigers starting shortstop for most of the season, between Everett and Peralta. If Jhonny doesn’t step up his game, I’d be starting Santiago at least against RHP’s, and I’d be using him as a defensive replacement quite often when the Tigers have a lead.
I’m not exactly sure why Santiago is not in the discussion for 2B next season. He could potentially do as much as Sizemore, Rhymes, or Guillen taking his offense and defense together. DD mentioned those three and even Danny Worth at his end of season presser, but no mention of Old Faithful. It just ain’t right!
If you survived 2003, you can get through this!
C
Decent bench guy. His bat tapered off this year his glove is adequate at best. Peralta is a better option (gasp). decent as a bench player and late inning defensive replacement. I’d like to see Worth move into his role however…..
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