Carlos Santana just needs to be average

If Carlos Santana can put together an average season by his standards, it will pay major dividends for the Cleveland Indians in 2019

Cleveland Indians first baseman and designated hitter Carlos Santana has experienced ups and downs in his career. Santana’s batting average has been as high as .268 and as low as .229. Home run totals have fluctuated between 18 and 34. While Santana’s numbers are not often consistent from year-to-year, he is always a threat at the plate.

Carlos Santana’s 162 game average is exactly what one would expect when evaluating his career.

.247/.363/.442/.805, 25 home runs, 33 doubles, two triples, 85 RBI, 83 runs, 106 walks

This production is hard to argue with. Carlos Santana has always drawn a lot of walks and driven the ball with power. Batting average has never really been a strength, however it is made up for with success in other areas.

Baseball Reference’s projection for Santana’s 2019 campaign is relatively in line with his career averages.

.242/.349/.433/.782, 22 home runs, 28 doubles, two triples, 73 RBI, 75 runs, 84 walks

For what it is worth this projection comes with 87 less plate appearances and 65 less at-bats than his 162 game average. The slash line numbers are relatively similar while there is just a dip in counting stats. The dip being the direct result of less plate appearances and at-bats.

Carlos Santana is more than capable of putting together a season that Baseball Reference projects. Carlos Santana is also capable of putting together a season that falls in line with his career averages. Santana still possesses his excellent eye at the plate and can drive the ball into the gap or over the fence.

The Cleveland Indians just need Carlos Santana to put together an average season by his standards. If Santana can do just that a lot of the concerns about the Indians offense would have been just a waste of time. Granted there are other areas of concern, but Santana doing his part will at least make them less of an issue.