Rafael Santana

Born: 1/31/1958 in La Romana, La Romana, D.R.

MLB Debut: 1983-04-05 | Final Game: 1990-04-23

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 165 lbs

Full name: Rafael Francisco Santana

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Biography

Rafael Santana was a professional baseball player born in 1958, whose career spanned from 1983 to 1990. During his time in Major League Baseball, Santana played a total of 668 games, primarily as a position player. He was known for his solid defensive skills and versatility on the field, contributing to teams such as the New York Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals. Santana's career offensive statistics included 497 hits, 13 home runs, and 156 RBIs, with a batting average of .246. He also showcased his speed with 3 stolen bases throughout his tenure. Playing in an era marked by significant changes in the game, including the rise of power hitting and the increasing specialization of players, Santana's contributions were often overshadowed by his contemporaries. Nevertheless, his defensive prowess and ability to perform in critical situations made him a valuable asset to his teams. As a member of the Mets during the mid-1980s, he was part of a franchise that would go on to achieve great success, including a World Series championship in 1986. Santana's career, while not filled with eye-popping statistics, reflects the essential roles that players like him fulfilled during a dynamic period in baseball history.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
668	2021	188	497	74	5	13	156	3	138	234	0.246	0.295	0.307	0.601	-6362.0

Career AVG .246 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .295 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 9.2% below league average.

Career SLG .307 vs. league average .391 across their career seasons — 21.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.601 vs. league average 0.716 across their career seasons — 16.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1983	STL	NL	30	14	1	3	0	0	0	2	0	2	2	0.214	—	—	—	—	0.0
1984	NYN	NL	51	152	14	42	11	1	1	12	0	9	17	0.276	.259 (+6%)	.322 (-2%)	.384 (-1%)	.707 (-1%)	-52.6
1985	NYN	NL	154	529	41	136	19	1	1	29	1	29	54	0.257	.257 (avg)	.323 (-9%)	.390 (-23%)	.714 (-16%)	-1730.4
1986	NYN	NL	139	394	38	86	11	0	1	28	0	36	43	0.218	.257 (-15%)	.325 (-13%)	.395 (-36%)	.720 (-25%)	-1909.5
1987	NYN	NL	139	439	41	112	21	2	5	44	1	29	57	0.255	.262 (-3%)	.331 (-9%)	.415 (-17%)	.746 (-13%)	-1192.3
1988	NYY	AL	148	480	50	115	12	1	4	38	1	33	61	0.240	.254 (-6%)	.317 (-9%)	.377 (-22%)	.695 (-16%)	-1477.3
1990	CLE	AL	7	13	3	3	0	0	1	3	0	0	0	0.231	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
13	37	3	8	0	0	0	2	2	8	0.216

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1986	NLCS	NYN	6	17	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0.176
1986	WS	NYN	7	20	3	5	0	0	0	2	2	5	0.250

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	10	1	2	4	1	1
3B	4	0	0	2	2	1
SS	639	578	1014	1697	87	364

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1983	SLN	2B	9	1	2	4	1	1
1983	SLN	3B	4	0	0	2	2	1
1983	SLN	SS	6	0	1	2	1	1
1984	NYN	SS	50	42	92	104	6	34
1985	NYN	SS	153	145	301	396	25	81
1986	NYN	2B	1	0	0	0	0	0
1986	NYN	SS	137	111	203	369	16	68
1987	NYN	SS	138	129	213	396	17	82
1988	NYA	SS	148	147	202	421	22	96
1990	CLE	SS	7	4	2	9	0	2