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"Tony Taters" The Prospect

Writer's picture: Grant DeVivoGrant DeVivo

Revisiting Anthony Santander's time at Double-A

*Cover Photo Credit: John Topoleski


Anthony Santander is gone from Birdland, much to the sadness of thousands of Orioles fans that he won over. He is gone after signing a 5-year contract worth $98.5 million with the division rival Toronto Blue Jays. This comes after establishing himself as one of the most feared switch-hitting power hitters in both the Orioles organization and in the entire American League East.


In over eight seasons as an Oriole with 746 games under his belt, "Tony Taters" belted 155 home runs, slugged .469, racked up 435 RBI, and posted a .776 OPS. His desire for the spotlight led to some of the Orioles' most magical moments of this now middle-aged 2020 decade. He has supplied some of the team's favorite walk-off bombs and grand slams.


In his final season in Baltimore last year, he set career highs in home runs (44), RBI (102), and walks (58), and he surpased the .500 slugging mark for the second time in his career. This helped him earn a spot on the American League All-Star roster, as well as a silver slugger award.


Before all of this happened, he was a Minor League prospect like many others are to start their careers. Of course, one would not first think of how Santander played in Minor League Baseball. Yet, he actually excelled in the Minors as he began molding into "Tony Taters" form years before he was given the nickname.


We all know his origins. He was a Rule 5 pick out of the then-Cleveland Indians organization who fought injuries and adversity in the path to success. He had a great run in the Minor Leagues, specifically at the Double-A level wit the Baysox.


Anthony Santander excelled for Double-A Bowie before becoming a big leaguer. Photo: John Topoleski
Anthony Santander excelled for Double-A Bowie before becoming a big leaguer. Photo: John Topoleski

Santander's time in the Orioles' Minor League system began in 2017. He was 22 at the time with no professional experience beyond Class-A baseball. Still, then-GM Dan Duquette took him as one of two Orioles Rule 5 picks for the big league roster, and MLB Pipeline immediately listed him as the organization's No. 9 prospect. In the previous season for the Lynchburg Hillcats, he hit .290 with 20 home runs, 95 RBI, and an .862 OPS. The Orioles were intrigued by his switch-hitting power enough to take a chance on him.


Technically, the regulations for a Rule 5 player state that a selectee needs to remain on the big league roster for the entire 162-game season. However, injuries sdelayed the start of Santander's season, and he was granted rehab assignments in the Minor Leagues.


Santander spent 15 games on a rehab assignment with the then-Bowie Baysox. 15 games proved all he needed as he hit .380 with 4 home runs, 15 RBI, and a 1.238 OPS. This included a 3-for-5 game on August 9 against Harrisburg in which he clobbered 2 home runs and collected 5 RBI.


After one more rehab game with the Class-A Frederick Keys, Santander got the call to make his Major League debut with the Orioles. He would not be seen in the Minor Leagues again until the following season.


Santander got off to a slow start with the Orioles in 2018, as he hit just .198 and struggled on defense in the outfield. Once his Rule 5 eligibility expired, he was optioned to the Minors so the Orioles could get his development back on track. The majority of his time in the Minors that year came with Bowie, 58 games to be exact compared to 18 games with Aberdeen and Norfolk.


While his batting average (.258) and OPS (.695) were down, his power numbers were still there. He still managed to collect 22 RBI and slug .402 to the tune of 5 home runs and 9 doubles. He had a hot streak for Bowie in May as in 12 games there to end the month, he only had one game without a hit and he had a 4-game RBI streak upon his demotion. Overall, he went 17-for-53 (.321) with 9 RBI.


The power numbers were still there and the ball was still jumping off Santander's bat. If not for that, he could have been easily forgotten in the mix of competing and hopeful outfielders looking for opportunities on a rebuilding Orioles squad. Santander could have easily been cast aside by the Orioles.


Once a promising outfield prospect, Anthony Santander is now an everyday MLB staple and star. Photo: John Topoleski
Once a promising outfield prospect, Anthony Santander is now an everyday MLB staple and star. Photo: John Topoleski

But he wasn't. The Orioles kept holding onto him hoping that he would blend into the everyday outfield mix and stand out as an imposing middle-of-the-lineup power threat. He did all of that, and he never left the Orioles' top prospect rankings either.


After posting a .726 OPS with Triple-A Norfolk to start 2019, Santander made it back to the big leagues. He did not return to the Minor Leagues until 2021 when he sprained his ankle against the Miami Marlins in April. The injury forced him back to Bowie for a rehab assignment starting on May 14. He spent three games there and gave Baysox fans a thrilling experience with a 4-for-12 (.333) showing. He posted a 1.012 OPS and clobbered a home run while visiting on rehab. He also took the field with then-top catching prospect Adley Rutschman, thus giving fans an early preview of what a piece of the future of the Orioles could look like.


When it is all said and done, Santander had a solid run at the Double-A level. In 72 Double-A games, he hit .284 with an .812 OPS, a .480 slugging percentage, 11 home runs, and 38 RBI. The rest is history as he rose to become a city fan-favorite and a staple in the Orioles lineup. His departure for Toronto leaves a stinging vacancy in Birdland that appears impossible to replace in the hearts of the Orioles' strongest fans. Yet, the impact he made will never be forgotten and the memories will last forever, especially to those die hard Minor League fans who remember who he was before he got the call to The Show.


Once upon a time, he was just a kid named Anthony Santander who had everything to prove. Now, he has little to prove as the beloved "Tony Taters."


Farewell, Tony. Until next time.


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