Baltimore Orioles: Anthony Santander and His Hot Switch-Hitting Bat

Baseballs seem to look like beach balls at the plate for Baltimore Orioles outfielder, Anthony Santander so far this season. 

After another two home-run effort against the Nationals, the switch-hitting Baltimore Orioles bomber has put the League on notice with a most-improved-player award looming.

Santander is currently in the top ten in the MLB in RBI, extra-base hits, and home runs. He is tied for first with Charlie Blackmon with 22 RBI. He’s tie for second with Fernando Tatis, Jr with 15 extra-base hits. And, he’s in a four-way tie for third with seven home runs.

Check out his two home runs from Sunday’s game against the Nationals courtesy of MLB.com:

In his fourth season with the Birds, he is showing why he deserves to be an everyday player in the improving lineup. With big bats like Alberto, Jose Iglesias, and Rio Ruiz surrounding him in the order, he looks to be a potent part of the Orioles lineup.

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We saw a glimpse of his power last season, hitting 20 baseballs out of the yard. However, we can only wonder how many he might hit had this been a full 162-game season. On Sunday, he sent his sixth and seventh home run of the season out of the park. He also blasted his fourth career home run onto Eutaw Street.

Santander’s home runs haven’t come cheaply. He has hit home runs off of some of the best pitchers in the League including Cy Young winners Blake Snell and Max Scherzer. He also hit one off of the 2019 World Series MVP, Stephen Strasburg, as well as their highly respected closer Daniel Hudson.

Santander’s production has guided the Orioles to wins in six of their last eight games. At 12-9, the O’s are in third place in the AL East – which is a surprise to most MLB fans. After all, good things happen when the Oriole’s right fielder makes contact this season. The 25-year-old seems to have put the team on his back with Baltimore in playoff position through a third of the season.

The Birds are among a few surprising teams so far in this 60-game season. Look at the first place Marlins, 16-win Athletics, and the Cubs who have already put a nice cushion between themselves and the rest of the NL Central.

Hopefully, Santander will continue hitting as the Orioles welcome in the Blue Jays for a three-game set beginning on Monday. An intriguing match-up comes as Santander combats the 2019 NL Cy Young runner-up Hyun Jin Ryu. It doesn’t get any easier on Tuesday as the Orioles face off against Nate Pearson – the Blue Jays flamethrower who is the League’s ninth ranked prospect