Milwaukee Brewers: Domingo Santana Cementing 2016 Role

There is not a whole lot to play for any more this season in Milwaukee for the Milwaukee Brewers, but don’t tell that to Domingo Santana. While the Brewers were officially eliminated from contention yesterday, Santana is proving his worth each day.

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Heading into today’s game, Santana had a .267 average in his 13 games with the Brewers, with four home runs and eight RBI’s. This has also helped to raise his overall average to .262. His .861 combined OPS also shows his ability to drive the baseball with authority. Even his outs are hit hard.

Though Santana does have a very high swing and a miss rate, it hasn’t seemed to affect him much this season. In AAA, he was among league leaders in batting average hitting .333 in AAA, although he struck out 108 times in 95 games.

Instead of looking like an all or nothing hitter like former Brewers’, Russell Branyan or Juan Francisco, Santana has shown patience in his at-bats in Milwaukee. Though he struggles with off-speed pitches, he has still been able to work counts and make solid contact. In today’s game he had two consecutive at-bats where he saw eight pitches and was able to work walks.

Though he has seen much of his time in center this season, with the top-prospects on the way at that position and a cannon of an arm, Santana’s future remains as a corner outfielder. Although Khris Davis and Ryan Braun currently have the corners locked down in Milwaukee, I expect that Davis will be moved this winter to make room for Santana.

With maybe the most raw power in the organization, Santana’s hot start is showing that he deserves his name penciled in the everyday lineup heading into next season. The trade to get Santana from the Houston Astros was a steal and as the first everyday player on the roster, he will be a gigantic piece in the Brewers rebuild.

Next: Pena Earns Start Wednesday