Dennis Santana

Santana threw his changeup slightly over 14% of the time in 2019 and it averaged 84 mph. With good sink and arm side run, Santana was able to obtain a 40% K% and a 0% BB%. If Santana makes the MLB roster in 2020, look for him to continue to use the pitch to get swings and misses.

Santana threw his slider 30 times in 2019, resulting in a slash line of .200/.500/.200. He struggled with command at times, issuing 2 walks in just 8 plate appearances. However, the pitch shows promise due to its nice glove side break and good depth. It averages 80 mph and is one of Santana’s main out pitches given the three strikeouts in the 8 PAs.

Santana’s main offering is his sinker, a two-seam fastball with above-average speed but not a ton of sink, which defeats the limited purpose and value of a sinker. While he only had one appearance, he did give up a couple hits on the sinker and a walk without any whiffs on the pitch.

The slider was Santana’s best pitch, a great swing-and-miss offering that he threw near 60% of the time in two-strike counts. In limited innings, he managed to strike out 44.4% of batters and draw 36% whiffs on the pitch. He’s had great success in the minors with strikeouts, and in a large part, it’s because of his plus slider.

Santana’s changeup was mostly a show-me pitch and a weapon against lefties. He threw the pitch low and outside the zone, and while he didn’t allow a hit, he only managed to get one pitch in the zone.