Adrian Santana

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #23 prospect in 2026
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
  
  Adjusted Grade: 35
  
  Track Record: Santana is the son of a pro infielder, Osmany Santana, and it shows. His defensive acumen and baseball intelligence stood out throughout his amateur career, but there were many concerns about his small size and lack of physicality. He hit 11 home runs as a high school senior, which alleviated some worries. Those concerns about his size remain. He handled his jump to High-A Bowling Green by showing excellent barrel control, but it’s essentially all singles. He had 17 extra-base hits.
  
  Scouting Report: Santana is an excellent shortstop thanks to an innate understanding of time. He knows when he needs to rush, and when he can slow down. He has an above-average arm, but it’s his feet that stand out. He glides across the infield. Santana is more comfortable making plays to his left than to his backhand. As a hitter, he’s a bottom-of-the-order slap hitter with 20-grade power. Santana’s 12.5% swing-and-miss rate is exceptional, but pitchers don’t need to worry if they throw in the zone, and he’ll also chase balls out of the zone. He is a plus-plus runner and an excellent basestealing threat.
  
  The Future: Santana remains a 155-pound shortstop, and at times he’s struggled to stay at that weight. His defense has a lot of value, and his basestealing and contact skills give him survival skills offensively, but it will be hard for him to find MLB success as more than a utility infielder unless he adds some power.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 20 | Run: 70 | Field: 60 | Arm: 55
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #28 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High.
  
  Track Record: When the Rays drafted Santana with a supplemental first-round pick in 2023, they knew that he’d likely be challenged by an assignment to full-season ball. The 19-year-old just isn’t as physical as most of the players in the Carolina League. To his credit, he managed to demonstrate excellent survival skills. Despite a lack of power, he uses his barrel control to put together a solid season while finishing second in the league with 51 stolen bases.
  
  Scouting Report: Santana is a twitchy athlete with excellent body control. He glides across the dirt. He’s mastered leaving his feet to field the ball and then quickly popping back up to throw. But his range can continue to improve, as too often he just missed making excellent plays in 2024. As a hitter, Santana has to get stronger. A skinny switch-hitter, he hits the ball roughly as hard as Chandler Simpson. He’s a plus runner, but he can’t match Simpson’s speed and knack for infield hits. Santana does have solid contact skills, but he projects as a bottom-of-the-order hitter whose glove carves out his spot in the lineup.
  
  The Future: The Rays are collecting well-above-average gloves at shortstop. Santana will be following right on Gregory Barrios’ heels. In the old minor league system, he’d likely be just getting ready for full-season ball, but having spent a whole year in the Carolina League, he’s set for High-A Bowling Green.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 30 | Run: 60 | Field: 60 | Arm: 55.