The Toronto Blue Jays Anthony Santander at risk of losing his job
Photo credit: The Niagara Independent
Should we be concerned about another slow start for Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander?
With just one RBI to start the season, Blue Jays fans are concerned about another slow start for outfielder Anthony Santander.
When the Toronto Blue Jays signed Anthony Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million deal in the offseason, they did so with full awareness of his reputation as a slow starter. So it's not all that surprising that he's opened the season going 7-for-36 with just one RBI.
Vanessa Serrao from the Jays Journal reports that Santander has a career batting average of .211 in March and April, which fits the pattern of slow starts he's shown in recent seasons.
In 2023, Santander hit .205 in the first month of the season before only hitting .208 with a .671 OPS last April. But both of those are still better than the .194 average he's currently sporting. That would be the worst average he's posted at the start of a month since he hit .196 in March/April of 2021. -Serrao
The silver lining for Blue Jays fans is that April has historically been Santander's toughest month by a wide margin. His career numbers steadily improve as the season progresses, with a .263 average in May, .250 in June, and .278 in both July and August, before dipping slightly to .206 in September.
With a career OPS of .773, it's evident that Santander is a solid hitter, he just tends to find his rhythm a little later in the season.
Santander is getting under the ball more, which is affecting his contact. Out of 16 batted balls, Santander has barreled just one. For the Blue Jays offense to be its best, they'll need him to start racking up extra-base hits in bunches. -Serrao
Last season, he launched 44 home runs-the third-highest total in the league-which earned him his first All-Star selection and a Silver Slugger award.
He notched his first extra-base hit as a Blue Jay with a double against the Nationals, but fans are still eagerly awaiting his first home run in a Blue Jays uniform.
Hopefully he can turn it around soon.
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