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No team has more home runs in 2024 than the Baltimore Orioles. Anthony Santander is doing his part, and will look to get paid for it come free agency.
Zachary D. Rymer predicts he’ll sign a four-year, $60 million deal in a June 13 column for Bleacher Report.
“There are great hitters, there are good hitters and then there are Anthony Santanders,” Rymer wrote. “He’s one of those guys who’s more in between good and great than one might realize.”
Baltimore’s outfielder is coming off a 2 home run game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
As @XMLiamMX wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), Santander is scorching hot.
Whether or not the Orioles are pushing to resign Santander is unreported.
They’ve got a crowded outfield featuring all of Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser, Austin Hays, with two MLB-ready prospects in Heston Kjerstad and Kyle Stowers.
Santander is batting .231/.307/.498 with 17 home runs and 42 RBIs this season.
Only Gunnar Henderson has more home runs for Baltimore.
Santander on Hot Streak: “I Feel Great When It’s Hot’
The month of June belongs to Santander. In 15 games since the month began, he’s got 8 home runs and 13 RBIs.
Following the 6-2 win over the Phillies where he homered twice, Santander talked with reporters about his hot streak.
“It’s something, I don’t know why it happens, but I feel great when it’s hot,” Santander said on June 15. “I’m from Venezuela, so it’s always 90-95. I wish it can be hot the whole year, but it isn’t.”
The Orioles’ hottest hitter says he focused on timing. Mostly, with the fastball.
“Be on time with the fastball,” Santander continued. “That’s the most important thing, to be able to recognize off-speed and try to hit pitches in the zone and try not to chase.”
Team skipper Brandon Hyde echoed those sentiments when asked about what’s working for Santander in June.
“He’s on time with the heater,” Hyde told reporters on June 15. “I know the homers, one was a split and one was off-speed, but he’s getting those pitches because they can’t rush the heater up on him like they were kind of doing early in the year. Last night he got on top of a heater right-handed. More on time with the fastball and he’s kind of buying some off-speed stuff in the middle of the plate and he’s not missing it.”
Whatever it is, it’s working. Santander has put himself in play for a big payday after the season. But he’s not the only player on Baltimore’s free agency agenda.
Burnes Predicted to Sign for $288 Million
In the same column Rymer predicted that the 29-year-old will sign an eight-year, $288 million contract.
“Burnes will be coming off his age-29 season, which will make him one year older than Gerrit Cole when he signed for nine years, $324 million after the 2019 season,” Rymer wrote. “Yet even if it’s shorter by a year, the righty’s next deal could at least resemble Cole’s in average annual value. And if so, we’ll be looking at a real whopper.”
Burnes is 7-2 in 2024, through June 12. He’s thrown 82 strikeouts and allowed 8 home runs in 86.2 innings pitched.
Baltimore’s ace has a 2.08 ERA and is in a six-way tie for most quality starts with 11.
Between his and Santander’s free agency, and potential extensions for Adley Rutschman and Henderson, it’s shaping up to be a busy offseason for the Orioles’ front office.
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