BRONX, NY — Carlos Santana (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is one of 14 players of Latino descent on the Minnesota Twins roster which represents the most in Major League Baseball. Santana, an All-Star from the Dominican Republic and Carlos Correa (Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico) the shortstop and with a World Series ring with the Houston Astros.
All are a family and Santana says they gel as a unit with their competitive nature. They cheer for each other and it follows what ballplayers learn at a young age in the training academies that revolve around baseball in Latin America.
The leader of the Twins franchise: Carlos Correa – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Santana is not alone because roughly 25 percent of Major League players come from Latin America and the Caribbean, though less than 15 percent of starting pitchers belong in that group. Position players like Santana are dominated by Latin American players.
Santana has no explanation of that fact. He plays the game with focus with the tenacity of an All-Star at 38 years of age, 11 years in between with the Indians, later named the Guardians and is ranked second among Major League players in walks (1,233) and third in games played (11,985).
Quite an accomplishment and a proud member of the Latino MLB community. The Twins, struggling in the AL Central standings, lost the second of a three game series to the Yankees, 9-5 in the Bronx Wednesday evening.
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Santana, though, in the sixth inning got hold of a Carlos RodĂłn fastball that went into the right field seats and spoiled a potential perfect game that was brewing for RodĂłn on his 73rd pitch.
His eighth home run was the first hit off Rodón. But breaking up a perfect game and preventing a shutout was not in his thoughts. As with all of Santana’s at-bats this was no different. He had the right approach and was looking for the mistake.
“The best pitch for him is his fastball,” he said about Rodón.”For him I tried to be aggressive. I tried to make a mistake what he was doing.”
The pitch was out of the zone and the rebounding season of RodĂłn (8-2, 3.08 ERA) has not seen him throw many pitches out of the zone, exception is throwing the home run ball that has not hindered the Yankees from having the best record in baseball, (44-19) tied with the Phillies.
“He threw a fastball in the middle,” Santana said. “The fastball away but second at bat, I had the approach. First two pitches breaking balls then fastball away.”
In his last nine starts, Carlos RodĂłn has recorded seven wins with a 2.87 ERA – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
But he has hit RodĂłn well over the years with a career .378 average and 14 hits in 37 at-bats, the second home run off the lefty.
Santana also is consistent and despite the Twins bad success they have at Yankee Stadium.The Yankees have won six straight against the Twins dating to last season, 106-42 since 2022, 5-0 against them this year, outscoring Minnesota 28-7, 19-2 overall.
Santana is hitting .350/.458/.650 with three runs, two home runs, two RBI, and 15 walks over his last seven games. At Yankee Stadium in 17 games since August of 2017, he is batting .354, 15 runs, four doubles, six home runs and 16 RBI.
But it’s not all about Santana. He strives to play better everyday, this as the Twins struggle after a fast start. He looks at Correa, José Miranda (Manati, Puerto Rico) and Manuel Margot (San Cristobal, Dominican Republic), among the other 12 Latinos on the roster as family. They talk, listen, and learn as teammates. They are a family of Twins.
JosĂ© Miranda has six HR and 20 RBI this season – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
“Excited, blessed God gave me an opportunity,” he said. “I’m happy for another opportunity to play. Yeah, for me, especially here we have special guys, great teammates, great people have a lot of experience. I’m excited, enjoy my teammates.”
In Cleveland those were talented teams. He has participated with the Dominican Republic national team winning the gold medal in the 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) and is noted for that plate discipline and power as a switch hitter, but batted mostly from the right side. Each season since 2011, Santana has hit at least 18 home runs while finishing within the top-four in the league in base on balls. An All-Star in 2019, was also named Wilson Defensive Player of the Year at first base and set Cleveland club records among switch hitters in both home runs in a career and in a single season.
He said the Twins have the talent to be a part of postseason baseball in October, a long season remains with plenty of baseball. The Yankees according to Santana are running perfect with their second seven-game winning streak of the season.
Two Dominicans in Juan Soto and Manuel Margot share a moment together leading up to game-time on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
And very proud to be one of many representing the Dominican Republic with the Twins.
“Always competition from Dominican Republic where the being elite isn’t easy,” he said. “We trying to do the best and respond. “I’m proud and happy to see that.”
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and contributor for Latinosports.com
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