The many talents some hidden of Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander

Publish date: 2024-06-10

Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander didn’t grow up as a Major League Baseball fan. As a kid in Agua Blanca, Venezuela, he didn’t have a favorite player. He didn’t have the means — or the interest — to watch baseball on television.

He simply adored playing the game. And he was good at it, so talented that he was recruited to a baseball academy two hours from his home at age 15.

Santander also could have gone to a Venezuelan academy for basketball, his first love.

And he considered becoming a chemical engineer; math and science still come so easy to him.

Even now, in his sixth major-league season, Santander isn’t all about baseball.

He owns an agro-industrial business in his hometown. He’s become an accomplished cook, boasting that he can make any dish he desires if given a little time and the right ingredients. And he recently has been disciplining himself to read books before he goes to bed, no matter how tired he may be from all those hours at the ballpark.

Santander, who debuted as a Rule 5 pick in 2017, has spent more seasons in an Orioles uniform than any current player besides his best friend on the club, Trey Mancini.

Yet Santander is somewhat of a mystery. He’s stayed off the media radar all these years. Everyone seems to like him, but few know him well.

“He’s the best. He’s the man. He’s just such a nice guy. He cares about everybody else around him,” Mancini said. “You’d think he’s been playing for 10 years the way he carries himself. He knows how to take care of himself and handle his business. He’s really, really impressive.”

Santander has played in all 18 Orioles games this season. (Joy R. Absalon)

Santander sits in the basement tunnel at Camden Yards, smiling widely. He’s excited to tell his story so Orioles fans can learn more about him. And he’s excited to tell it in English, something for which he has worked tirelessly.

Santander does most of his televised interviews with an interpreter. But, for a one-on-one chat without cameras around, Santander does 99 percent of the interview in English, with Orioles interpreter Brandon Quinones sitting by, just in case he’s needed to help clarify a word here or there. Five years ago, Santander knew only phrases; now he commands a second language.

“I understand that I’m in America, so I have to be able to communicate with people,” Santander said. “I need to get better on the camera. Not because I can’t talk, but I get kind of nervous because it’s not my first language. … But when we’re like this, I want to speak English.”

MLB has traditionally been covered primarily by those who speak only English. It’s a detriment considering the many international players in the game; it’s difficult for them to communicate in detail with English-speaking reporters, so often their personal stories go untold by American media.

That’s certainly been the case with Santander. A Google search reveals mostly stories of him as a Rule 5 draftee or details of his extensive injury history. There’s one personal tale of note: How a group of several thousand children from a United Kingdom youth scouting organization attended their first MLB game in 2019, sat in the left-field seats at Camden Yards and immediately became Santander’s first fan club, cheering every time he touched a baseball.

Two years ago, @roller_mvp made a whole lot of new friends from the UK ☺#MLB #Birdland #MLBEurope pic.twitter.com/HyaaAgp9IH

— MLB Europe (@MLBEurope) August 4, 2021

But that’s about it. Not much on him personally. So, he’s sharing a little now. But not everything.

“My history is really good. I can honestly write a book,” Santander said. “I have a lot of things to tell you. … But some (stories will be saved) for my own book.”

He then tips his head upward and chuckles.

Santander’s parents, Roger and Yoleida, are from Agua Blanca, an agricultural town of roughly 18,000 in northern Venezuela, but they moved to Margarita, a Venezuelan island in the Caribbean Sea, for a better life. Santander, an only child, was born there; his father worked at a beach restaurant and his mom at the airport. When Santander was 6, his parents moved back to Agua Blanca to be closer to family. They worked for the government’s lottery system while Anthony grew up excelling both in school and athletics.

Roger, a former standout basketball player, had his son playing sports — baseball, basketball, soccer — starting as a preschooler. Santander was a natural athlete and taller than most everyone his age. He surpassed 6-foot at age 13; initially, he thought he might play pro basketball.

“Maybe I’m gonna be 6-foot-6, maybe 6-11,” said Santander, who now stands at 6-foot-2. “But then I didn’t grow more.”

Anthony played sports from a very early age in Venezuela. (Courtesy of the Santander family)

Slender with a strong right arm, Santander was viewed as one of the best young pitchers in his country in his early teens. But he injured his right elbow and began playing primarily outfield. Independent Venezuelan scouts knew the kid could hit, but there was some concern initially with the arm, so they got creative. One handed him a left-hander’s glove and had him throw and catch with his opposite hand. His right elbow ultimately improved after a few months, but the switch-hitting Santander came close to becoming a fully ambidextrous player.

“I was able to throw the ball hard to second base (left-handed). I knew it was gonna take a lot of time to get that arm ready,” Santander said. “But at that age I was so athletic, maybe if I had a year and a half, I would have been able to throw well with both hands.”

In Venezuela, teen athletes have a decision to make: Stay in school and go toward the academic path, or pick a sport and attend an academy, basically a boarding school without the schooling part. Its sole purpose is to get kids ready to be signed by professional sports organizations. Santander could go to college and have a comfortable life. He also could have gone the basketball academy route, but he knew that was a significant risk.

He believed in his baseball future, even if others didn’t.

“At about 13 or 14, there was a professor that told Anthony he should leave baseball behind because it wouldn’t give him anything. And it would be easier to become an engineer or a medic or a professor,” his mother said through Quinones, the interpreter. “But Anthony blocked out those words and continued to play baseball. And that only fueled him to train even harder and gain the discipline to make it to the next level.”

Yoleida, Anthony and Roger Santander in 2019. (Courtesy of the Santander family)

His parents wouldn’t let him leave until he finished the Venezuelan equivalency of high school. There needed to be a fallback in case baseball didn’t work. By 15, he had finished his educational requirements and was ready to travel two hours away to Valencia and begin his pro baseball pursuit.

The Santanders didn’t want to be apart from their teenage son. But they knew it’s what he needed.

“It was difficult for us when that decision came around because he was an only child. But at the time we asked God for help to understand, and to see what Anthony wanted to do with his life. And we were always willing to support him with whatever,” Yoleida Santander said. “And when he did (leave), it was easy for him because he was always an independent kid.”

Most players were only allowed out of the academy on occasion, and they needed to be transported to and from the facility by their parents. But Yoleida Santander said the academy’s leaders recognized her son’s maturity and allowed him to go back and forth on his own. The Santanders saw him a couple of times per month, but that became less infrequent as his international baseball travel ramped up.

Roughly two years after he left for the academy, Cleveland signed Santander for $385,000.

When Orioles manager Brandon Hyde hears the factoid, he bellows.

“Are you serious?”

Yes.

The 27-year-old Santander, a dashing big-league ballplayer making $3.15 million this season, still lives with his parents.

Or, technically, they live with him.

When Santander’s in Baltimore during the season, his parents live at his place. They also stay with him at his offseason home in Miami.

“Most people, when they grow up they want to be separate, they want to have their own space,” said Santander, who is not married but has a serious girlfriend. “But I don’t have any problem with that. I love when my parents are around me. It’s my family. I’m an only child.”

Does he get teased by his teammates for still living with mom and dad?

“No,” he says, but then he grins. “I don’t think they know that my parents live with me.”

His manager, Hyde, had no idea.

“I did not know that, but I’m not gonna hold it against him,” Hyde joked.

It’s not unprecedented for international players to have their parents with them in the States. Former Oriole Ubaldo Jiménez had his mother and father live with him in Baltimore before he married. Altagracia Alvino lived with two of her baseball-playing sons, Wilton Guerrero and Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr., during their years in the majors, and she and her husband also lived for a time with her grandson, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., while preparing home-cooked meals for many Latino ballplayers throughout the league.

Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins, an American who lived with his parents during several offseasons in Georgia until he moved in with his fiancée last year, said he knew Santander’s folks were in Baltimore. And Mullins thinks it’s great.

“One hundred percent it’s cool,” Mullins said. “To have your family around as much as possible, especially if you’re a big-league baseball player, that’s an awesome experience across the board. And to be able to share it with your family is also awesome.”

It’s also practical. When the Orioles are on the road, the Santanders can take care of their son’s place if they aren’t traveling, too. When there’s a homestand, they can do the little things around the house for Santander.

“We obviously take care of him. We cook for him. We sometimes spoil him,” Santander’s mother said.

When his parents go back to Agua Blanca every six months or so, it’s mainly to help run Santander’s business, a company that purchases corn from the area and processes it into the flour needed to make Venezuelan staples such as arepas and empanadas.

His parents are sort of his secondary business managers, here and in Venezuela. One day, though, his mother knows part of the current job responsibility will come to an end.

“When it comes time for him to start his own family, obviously we understand we won’t be able to be around all the time,” Yoleida Santander said. “We might even get kicked out.”

Playing baseball is Santander’s passion. Food is a close second. He loves to eat — seafood, steak, rice and beans. It must be good, though; he’s extremely picky.

“Because I know how to cook,” Santander said.

It began when he was by himself at the baseball academy in Valencia. He called his mom his first week away and asked her to walk him through the way she cooked her rice and beans. A decade later, he said he likes to cook more than his mother does, though she still makes the best arepas — stuffed cornmeal cakes — he’s ever had. Most of the cooking these days in their home is done by Santander or his father, whom Santander calls “the chef.”

Instead of going out for a nice meal on off days in Baltimore, Santander said he prefers to stay at home, rest and cook — sometimes with his dad and sometimes by himself. He said he has no signature dish but can make just about anything, and make it well.

What if, he was asked, Quinones, the interpreter, was coming over for dinner? What would Santander prepare for him?

“I make him whatever he likes,” Santander said. “He’s Dominican, so I can cook him locrio, that is rice with a protein. It can be chicken or sausage or bacon.”

Santander looks to Quinones for approval, and the first-year interpreter says shyly, “Well, I’m not Dominican. I’m Cuban and Puerto Rican, so …”

Santander puts his hands on his head, and exclaims, “Mamma Mia!”

The ballplayer profusely apologizes for mixing up Quinones’ nationality while Quinones laughs. Then Santander gets back at the task at hand. “OK, so I can cook you arroz con gandules (rice and pigeon peas) with chicken and salsa.”

“There you go,” Quinones nods.

The self-proclaimed foodie faced a dilemma this offseason. Santander wanted to lose weight. He wanted to become leaner. He wanted more flexibility.

Most years with the Orioles, he’s played at a rock-solid 230-235 pounds. He’s a physical specimen, strong and chiseled. But he’s never been able to shake injuries: knee, ankle, oblique. It’s what has stopped Santander from becoming an elite big leaguer.

So, he made a few promises to himself. One, he wanted to get down to about 220-225 pounds. That meant eating both healthier and smaller portions. He still has his rice and beans, but he eats less of them. His breakfasts consist of mainly egg whites and fruit. Lots of vegetables for lunch.

The second part was reshaping his workouts. Since he’s been a professional, he’s been a gym rat. But he wanted his body to feel differently. He wanted to maintain strength but increase agility and speed. So, he shopped for a gym in South Florida this offseason.

Santander reported to spring training about 12 pounds lighter following an offseason program. (Jonathan Dyer / USA Today)

He chose House of Athlete in Weston, Fla., a facility founded by former six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall, which has carved a niche with NFL players. Before he signed on, Santander interviewed Marshall and trainers Mo Wells and Troy Jones to make sure they could give him what he needed.

“Baseball players tend to be big and slow,” Santander said. “I’m still young and I don’t see me as a DH, so I said, ‘OK, I need to be an athlete again. I need to be fast and quick in the outfield.’”

His offseason regimen started with 40 minutes of stretching and mobility drills before the daily workouts began. Twice a week he’d do yoga. His trainers presented drills that would increase first-step explosion and side-to-side quickness. He dropped roughly 12 pounds, even after adding in his typical weightlifting exercises. He’s still stretching extensively before every workout and weighs himself every day to make sure he’s around 222 pounds.

“I feel amazing,” Santander said. “I did a great job in the offseason. Now it’s time to keep this same routine and give my 100 percent on the field.”

His effort, of course, has never been the issue.

Any story about Santander can’t be complete without discussing his injuries.

“That’s the reality. I’m an honest person and I understand the situation. And I accept the situation,” Santander said. “It’s something I don’t control. If you see my injuries, it’s something I cannot do anything about it.”

His tendency to get injured is one of the primary reasons he first became an Oriole.

After the 2016 season, Cleveland had difficult decisions to make regarding its 40-man roster. Santander, then 22, had just hit 20 homers and posted an .862 OPS in 128 games for the High-A Lynchburg Hillcats. But he had been injured the year before and had right shoulder surgery late in 2016. Cleveland thought it could leave Santander off the 40-man and slip him through the Rule 5 draft, an injured slugger who hadn’t played above A ball.

“If you look at his stats, it was only that year (2016, that he excelled); every other year was incomplete,” said current Orioles senior director for international scouting Koby Perez, who was with Cleveland in 2016. “So, we figured take a risk. We didn’t think another team would take that risk. And the Orioles did, fortunately for us now.”

Former executive vice president Dan Duquette selected Santander because he came highly recommended by former High-A Frederick manager Keith Bode, who watched Santander bat .375 with six homers and 17 RBIs in 17 games against the Keys in 2016.

Santander, who has struggled with injuries throughout his career, sprained his ankle in April 2021. (Marta Lavandier / Associated Press)

Due primarily to injuries, Santander played just 13 games for the Orioles in 2017, 33 in 2018 and 93 in 2019. Santander built on a strong second half in 2019 by playing tremendous, all-around baseball in the truncated 2020 season. He posted an .890 OPS, was named Most Valuable Oriole and was a Gold Glove finalist in right field but played only 37 of 60 games due to an oblique strain.

Last season, he sprained his left ankle in late April, attempted to rush back a month later and was hampered all season. He was shut down in September while trying to play through a left knee sprain. His offense and defense suffered all year, and Hyde kept trying to give him time off. But Santander begged. He didn’t want to let his teammates down.

“He was trying to push to get out on the field, and I give him a lot of credit for that,” Hyde said. “We all knew he was struggling with the ankle. You could see it. But one thing that’s lost in this game is guys playing when they’re not 100 percent, and Tony did that almost the entire season.”

Could this be the year that he stays healthy all season?

When Santander is asked that, he quickly grabs the back of a wooden bench and raps his knuckles against it. He doesn’t want to jinx a season that started with a home run on Opening Day, and, after a power drought, featured two more in his last two games, including a monster, 427-foot shot Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.

CRUSHED. pic.twitter.com/GTbdr92IyK

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 28, 2022

A rough stretch dropped his batting average to .241, but there are two other numbers that are much more encouraging.

He clearly is seeing the ball better in 2022, literally and figuratively. He’s been wearing glasses at times during the early season, and he’s also been staying off pitches he doesn’t think he can drive. It’s a philosophy that new hitting coaches Ryan Fuller and Matt Borgschulte have stressed, and it’s worked so far for Santander. Especially when it comes to getting on base. His .421 OBP is in the top 10 in the AL and his 14 walks are second in the league. His 18.4 percent walk rate is three times higher than his career-best of 6.1 in 2020, and he’s reached base safely in all 18 games.

“I feel like I’m seeing the pitches really good, but this is a game of adjustments. You aren’t gonna hit every day,” Santander said. “But my goal is to be 100 percent on every pitch. Do what I can control and swing at good pitches. We’re working with hitting coaches that have a philosophy I like. And I think we’re all gonna take advantage of that and, as a group, we’re gonna have a good year.”

The other impressive number in question is 18, as in starting and playing in every 2022 game so far. It’s the start Santander wanted.

“He’s taking very educated at-bats, where he’s not chasing. He’s walking,” Perez said. “And I think, knock on wood, if he stays healthy, I think he is in for a big year.”

Santander, with that sharp, analytical mind, knows that if the wood is effectively knocked, and 2022 is a healthy breakout, it may mean the end of his Orioles career — just when he was getting more comfortable with telling his story and being in the spotlight.

A great year means a hotter trade market for Santander, who’s not a free agent until after the 2024 season. With an organization deep in outfield prospects, dealing him to improve the club’s future pitching could make sense this summer or in the offseason.

“I wouldn’t like that. But if it happens, that’s a business decision that the front office has got to take,” Santander said. “I tell you I feel good here. I would like to stay, but I don’t control that.”

Santander believes his family’s support and his religious beliefs have led him to this point. He’s not sure where his path leads, but he’s not worried.

It’ll just add more chapters to the book he’s compiling.

(Top photo: Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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The many talents some hidden of Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander