Benito Santiago, baseball player, 217 home runs, 1986-2005

Benito Santiago

Born: 3/9/1965 in Ponce, P.R.

MLB Debut: 1986-09-14 | Final Game: 2005-04-11

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 180 lbs

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Benito Santiago, born in 1965, was a prominent Major League Baseball catcher known for his exceptional defensive skills and powerful hitting during his career from 1986 to 2005. Over the course of 1,978 games, Santiago amassed 1,830 hits, 217 home runs, and 920 RBIs, culminating in a batting average of .263. His speed on the bases was also notable, as he recorded 91 stolen bases throughout his time in the league. Santiago's playing style combined agility behind the plate with a formidable presence at the plate, making him a dual threat. Santiago's impact on the game was underscored by his accolades, which included five All-Star selections and major awards such as Rookie of the Year, TSN Rookie Player of the Year, and NLCS MVP. He played during an era that saw a significant evolution in the role of catchers, transitioning from primarily defensive players to impactful hitters. His contributions to teams like the San Diego Padres and the Florida Marlins helped shape the competitive landscape of the National League in the late 1980s and 1990s. Santiago's legacy endures as one of the key figures in modern catching history, exemplifying the blend of athleticism and skill required at the position.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1978 6951 755 1830 323 41 217 920 91 430 1270 0.263 0.307 0.415 0.722 -4885.2

Career AVG .263 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .307 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — 7.6% below league average.

Career SLG .415 vs. league average .411 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.722 vs. league average 0.743 across their career seasons — near 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
1986 SDP NL 17 62 10 18 2 0 3 6 0 2 12 0.290 .257 (+13%) .325 (-6%) .395 (+18%) .720 (+8%) 51.3
1987 SDP NL 146 546 64 164 33 2 18 79 21 16 112 0.300 .262 (+14%) .331 (-2%) .415 (+12%) .746 (+6%) 489.7
1988 SDP NL 139 492 49 122 22 2 10 46 15 24 82 0.248 .254 (-2%) .317 (-11%) .377 (-4%) .695 (-8%) -854.6
1989 SDP NL 129 462 50 109 16 3 16 62 11 26 89 0.236 .254 (-7%) .319 (-13%) .375 (+3%) .694 (-4%) -525.6
1990 SDP NL 100 344 42 93 8 5 11 53 5 27 55 0.270 .257 (+5%) .324 (-1%) .385 (+9%) .710 (+4%) 196.5
1991 SDP NL 152 580 60 155 22 3 17 87 8 23 114 0.267 .255 (+5%) .323 (-8%) .384 (+5%) .708 (-1%) -348.0
1992 SDP NL 106 386 37 97 21 0 10 42 2 21 52 0.251 .255 (-2%) .322 (-11%) .377 (+2%) .699 (-4%) -423.4
1993 MIA NL 139 469 49 108 19 6 13 50 10 37 88 0.230 .265 (-13%) .332 (-12%) .403 (-6%) .735 (-9%) -948.8
1994 MIA NL 101 337 35 92 14 2 11 41 1 25 57 0.273 .269 (+1%) .338 (-5%) .424 (avg) .763 (-2%) -208.3
1995 CIN NL 81 266 40 76 20 0 11 44 2 24 48 0.286 .266 (+7%) .337 (+4%) .417 (+16%) .755 (+11%) 521.3
1996 PHI NL 136 481 71 127 21 2 30 85 2 49 104 0.264 .269 (-2%) .340 (-2%) .426 (+18%) .767 (+9%) 809.4
1997 TOR AL 97 341 31 83 10 0 13 42 1 17 80 0.243 .266 (-9%) .336 (-17%) .419 (-8%) .756 (-12%) -886.9
1998 TOR AL 15 29 3 9 5 0 0 4 0 1 6 0.310 — — — — 0.0
1999 CHC NL 109 350 28 87 18 3 7 36 1 32 71 0.249 .271 (-8%) .344 (-9%) .433 (-13%) .778 (-11%) -835.8
2000 CIN NL 89 252 22 66 11 1 8 45 2 19 45 0.262 .270 (-3%) .344 (-10%) .437 (-7%) .782 (-8%) -475.1
2001 SFG NL 133 477 39 125 25 4 6 45 5 23 78 0.262 .263 (-1%) .332 (-11%) .426 (-14%) .758 (-12%) -1345.6
2002 SFG NL 126 478 56 133 24 5 16 74 4 27 73 0.278 .261 (+6%) .331 (-5%) .416 (+8%) .747 (+2%) 35.8
2003 SFG NL 108 401 53 112 21 2 11 56 0 29 69 0.279 .264 (+6%) .332 (-1%) .422 (avg) .754 (avg) -38.6
2004 KCR AL 49 175 15 48 10 0 6 23 1 8 32 0.274 .266 (+3%) .335 (-7%) .427 (+2%) .762 (-2%) -98.5
2005 PIT NL 6 23 1 6 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 0.261 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
28 100 7 25 2 0 3 19 12 21 0.250

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2003 NLDS1 SFN 4 11 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.182
2002 NLCS SFN 5 20 2 6 0 0 2 6 2 4 0.300
2002 NLDS1 SFN 5 21 1 5 2 0 0 5 1 5 0.238
2002 WS SFN 7 26 2 6 0 0 0 5 3 4 0.231
1995 NLCS CIN 4 13 0 3 0 0 0 0 2 3 0.231
1995 NLDS2 CIN 3 9 2 3 0 0 1 3 3 3 0.333

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 25 14 139 8 1 11
C 1917 1796 10816 960 151 130
OF 2 0 0 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1986 SDN C 17 15 80 7 5 2
1987 SDN C 146 140 817 80 22 12
1988 SDN C 136 128 725 75 12 11
1989 SDN C 127 122 685 81 20 10
1990 SDN C 98 89 538 51 12 6
1991 SDN C 151 148 830 100 14 14
1991 SDN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1992 SDN C 103 98 584 53 12 6
1993 FLO C 136 125 740 64 11 4
1993 FLO OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1994 FLO C 97 88 511 66 5 6
1995 CIN 1B 8 1 19 2 0 2
1995 CIN C 75 71 461 33 2 4
1996 PHI 1B 14 12 111 6 1 9
1996 PHI C 114 112 723 61 10 5
1997 TOR C 95 93 621 40 2 10
1998 TOR C 15 6 45 2 0 0
1999 CHN 1B 1 0 2 0 0 0
1999 CHN C 107 95 560 43 6 8
2000 CIN C 84 66 428 36 3 4
2001 SFN 1B 2 1 7 0 0 0
2001 SFN C 130 119 830 62 5 12
2002 SFN C 125 122 738 54 4 10
2003 SFN C 106 106 629 34 5 3
2004 KCA C 49 48 228 18 1 3
2005 PIT C 6 5 43 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 1917
First Base 25
Left Field 2
Designated Hitter 1

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2002 NLCS MVP
1991 Silver Slugger C
1991 TSN All-Star C
1990 Gold Glove C
1990 Silver Slugger C
1989 Gold Glove C
1989 TSN All-Star C
1988 Gold Glove C
1988 Silver Slugger C
1987 Rookie of the Year
1987 Silver Slugger C
1987 TSN All-Star C
1987 TSN Rookie Player of the Year

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2005 PIT NL $2,150,000
2004 KCA AL $2,150,000
2003 SFN NL $1,775,000
2002 SFN NL $2,044,168
2001 SFN NL $500,000
2000 CIN NL $650,000
1999 CHN NL $1,700,000
1998 TOR AL $4,000,000
1997 TOR AL $2,500,000
1996 PHI NL $1,700,000
1995 CIN NL $650,000
1994 FLO NL $3,800,000
1993 FLO NL $3,400,000
1992 SDN NL $3,300,000
1991 SDN NL $1,650,000
1990 SDN NL $750,000
1989 SDN NL $345,000
1988 SDN NL $167,500
1987 SDN NL $63,500
Total Career Earnings $33,295,168

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2002 Most Valuable Player NL 20th 2.0 448 0
1990 Most Valuable Player NL 23th 3.0 336 0
1987 Rookie of the Year NL 1st 120.0 120 24