Carlos Santana is a 36-year-old Major League Baseball designated hitter and first baseman for the Kansas City Royals who was born on April 8, 1986.
Antana, a native of Santo Domingo, first entered the professional ranks on August 13, 2004, when he signed as an amateur free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a minor leaguer with the Dodgers until July 26, 2008, when he was traded to the Indians.
Through the 2013 season, he generally split his time between catcher and first base, and since then, he has mostly played first base, designated hitter, and occasional third base.
Prior to the 2018 season, Santana became a free agent and signed a three-year contract with the Phillies. In December of the following year, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners for a brief stint before being returned to Cleveland.
Santana noted that he did not have a set regimen until spring training of the 2019 season. During that time, Indians assistant hitting coach Vic Rodriguez encouraged him to do so, saying that “if you have a regular routine that works for you, and you stick to it every day, regardless of how good or awful a season you’re having, you’re going to be OK.”
The strategy was meant to smash the ball with more firm contact up the center rather than repeatedly pulling it, resulting in considerable improvements in almost every area.
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