Ruben Santana

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #9 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Santana’s combination of physicality, tools and feel for the game spurred the D-backs to sign him for $750,000 in January 2022. He followed up his strong debut in the Dominican Summer League with a good showing in the Arizona Complex League in 2023. That showed he has the ingredients, including a rocket arm and the ability to hit balls hard, to develop into an impact third baseman.
  
  Scouting Report: Santana has a loose, quick and powerful righthanded swing that generates hard contact with massive pull-side power. He shows an ability to drive all types of pitches, including breaking balls. While his approach is aggressive, he does not have major red flags with his strikeout or in-zone contact rates, but he does chase from time to time. His posture at the plate can cause him to get stuck on his back side. The D-backs hope to clean that up and get him moving more freely and naturally through the zone. Santana has a cannon for an arm and can show good actions in the field but has room to improve when it comes to the consistency of his footwork and glovework. Santana has a strong, physical, 6-foot, 190-pound frame that would fit well on a football field, but while he is an above-average runner now he looks like he could slow down a bit as he matures.
  
  The Future: Santana’s propensity for loud contact got the attention of rival clubs, who inquired about him often at the 2023 trade deadline. He still has work to do in terms of his approach, but he has a chance to develop into an impact player on both sides of the ball. In many ways, Santana is reminiscent of Deyvison De Los Santos in terms of skills and upside. An assignment to Low-A Visalia is on tap for 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #18 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: The D-backs had already been tracking Santana when the pandemic hit, and when they saw him again after scouting restrictions had been lifted they were taken aback by how much he had improved. Intrigued by his tools and advanced offensive approach, they wound up signing him to a $750,000 deal. Santana put together an impressive debut in the Dominican Summer League, showing flashes of the powerful offensive profile on which the D-backs are betting.
  
  Scouting Report: Santana gets good extension on his quick, aggressive swing, generating hard contact to all fields. He goes to the plate looking to do damage but shows good plate discipline relative to his age and experience level. His power projects to be at least plus. He recognizes and has shown an ability to hit breaking balls. He has some swing and miss concerns, but his ability to make adjustments helped him limit his strikeouts. He has plus speed, a surprise given his muscular build. He has good hands and footwork and a plus arm, giving him a chance to be at least an average defender at third.
  
  The Future: Though he has yet to play outside the DSL, Santana has D-backs officials excited in the same way Deyvison De Los Santos did a few years ago. Santana will make his stateside debut in 2023 and will try to show he is the organization's next big power-hitting infield prospect. Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 60. Speed: 60. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: The D-backs had already been tracking Santana when the pandemic hit, and when they saw him again after scouting restrictions had been lifted they were taken aback by how much he had improved. Intrigued by his tools and advanced offensive approach, they wound up signing him to a $750,000 deal. Santana put together an impressive debut in the Dominican Summer League, showing flashes of the powerful offensive profile on which the D-backs are betting.
  
  Scouting Report: Santana gets good extension on his quick, aggressive swing, generating hard contact to all fields. He goes to the plate looking to do damage but shows good plate discipline relative to his age and experience level. His power projects to be at least plus. He recognizes and has shown an ability to hit breaking balls. He has some swing and miss concerns, but his ability to make adjustments helped him limit his strikeouts. He has plus speed, a surprise given his muscular build. He has good hands and footwork and a plus arm, giving him a chance to be at least an average defender at third.
  
  The Future: Though he has yet to play outside the DSL, Santana has D-backs officials excited in the same way Deyvison De Los Santos did a few years ago. Santana will make his stateside debut in 2023 and will try to show he is the organization's next big power-hitting infield prospect. Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 60. Speed: 60. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: The D-backs had already been tracking Santana when the pandemic hit, and when they saw him again after scouting restrictions had been lifted they were taken aback by how much he had improved. Intrigued by his tools and advanced offensive approach, they wound up signing him to a $750,000 deal. Santana put together an impressive debut in the Dominican Summer League, showing flashes of the powerful offensive profile on which the D-backs are betting.
  
  Scouting Report: Santana gets good extension on his quick, aggressive swing, generating hard contact to all fields. He goes to the plate looking to do damage but shows good plate discipline relative to his age and experience level. His power projects to be at least plus. He recognizes and has shown an ability to hit breaking balls. He has some swing and miss concerns, but his ability to make adjustments helped him limit his strikeouts. He has plus speed, a surprise given his muscular build. He has good hands and footwork and a plus arm, giving him a chance to be at least an average defender at third.
  
  The Future: Though he has yet to play outside the DSL, Santana has D-backs officials excited in the same way Deyvison De Los Santos did a few years ago. Santana will make his stateside debut in 2023 and will try to show he is the organization's next big power-hitting infield prospect. Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 60. Speed: 60. Fielding: 55. Arm: 60