Ron Santo, baseball player, 342 home runs, 1960-1974

Ron Santo

⭐ Hall of Fame 2012

Born: 2/25/1940 in Seattle, WA, USA

Died: 12/2/2010 in Scottsdale, AZ, USA

MLB Debut: 1960-06-26 | Final Game: 1974-09-29

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Ronald Edward Santo

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Biography

Ron Santo was a prominent Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from 1960 to 1974. Born in 1940, Santo established himself as one of the most skilled third basemen of his era, showcasing a powerful bat and exceptional fielding abilities. Over the course of 2,243 games, he accumulated 2,254 hits, 342 home runs, and 1,331 RBIs, posting a career batting average of .277. Known for his resilience and competitive spirit, Santo also demonstrated speed on the bases with 35 stolen bases to his name. A nine-time All-Star, he was celebrated for his contributions to the game during a transformative period in baseball marked by the rise of power hitting and the integration of players from diverse backgrounds. Santo played the majority of his career with the Chicago Cubs, where he became a beloved figure among fans. His dedication to the team and the city cemented his legacy, and he was recognized for his leadership both on and off the field. After his retirement, Santo's impact continued as he became a revered broadcaster, sharing his passion for the game with a new generation of fans. In 2012, he was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, a testament to his enduring influence and the significant role he played in the history of the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2243 8143 1138 2254 365 67 342 1331 35 1108 1343 0.277 0.362 0.464 0.826 33318.9

Career AVG .277 vs. league average .250 across their career seasons — +10.7% above league average.

Career OBP .362 vs. league average .317 across their career seasons — +14.4% above league average.

Career SLG .464 vs. league average .373 across their career seasons — +24.5% above league average.

Career OPS 0.826 vs. league average 0.689 across their career seasons — +19.9% above 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
1960 CHC NL 95 347 44 87 24 2 9 44 0 31 44 0.251 .255 (-2%) .323 (-4%) .387 (+6%) .711 (+1%) 1.1
1961 CHC NL 154 578 84 164 32 6 23 83 2 73 77 0.284 .258 (+10%) .328 (+10%) .399 (+20%) .727 (+16%) 1886.9
1962 CHC NL 162 604 44 137 20 4 17 83 4 65 94 0.227 .257 (-12%) .326 (-7%) .393 (-9%) .719 (-8%) -1056.2
1963 CHC NL 162 630 79 187 29 6 25 99 6 42 92 0.297 .246 (+21%) .308 (+10%) .371 (+29%) .680 (+20%) 2293.7
1964 CHC NL 161 592 94 185 33 13 30 114 3 86 96 0.312 .250 (+25%) .312 (+27%) .377 (+49%) .690 (+39%) 4689.1
1965 CHC NL 164 608 88 173 30 4 33 101 3 88 109 0.285 .245 (+16%) .310 (+22%) .371 (+37%) .682 (+30%) 3780.4
1966 CHC NL 155 561 93 175 21 8 30 94 4 95 78 0.312 .248 (+26%) .309 (+33%) .376 (+43%) .685 (+39%) 4575.7
1967 CHC NL 161 586 107 176 23 4 31 98 1 96 103 0.300 .242 (+24%) .306 (+29%) .357 (+43%) .663 (+37%) 4365.8
1968 CHC NL 162 577 86 142 17 3 26 98 3 96 106 0.246 .236 (+4%) .298 (+18%) .340 (+24%) .638 (+21%) 2600.2
1969 CHC NL 160 575 97 166 18 4 29 123 1 96 97 0.289 .248 (+16%) .320 (+20%) .369 (+31%) .689 (+26%) 3141.3
1970 CHC NL 154 555 83 148 30 4 26 114 2 92 108 0.267 .253 (+5%) .325 (+13%) .385 (+23%) .711 (+19%) 2214.4
1971 CHC NL 154 555 77 148 22 1 21 88 4 79 95 0.267 .249 (+7%) .316 (+12%) .365 (+16%) .682 (+14%) 1636.7
1972 CHC NL 133 464 68 140 25 5 17 74 1 69 75 0.302 .243 (+24%) .310 (+26%) .353 (+38%) .664 (+32%) 2880.3
1973 CHC NL 149 536 65 143 29 2 20 77 1 63 97 0.267 .256 (+4%) .325 (+7%) .378 (+16%) .703 (+12%) 1320.8
1974 CHW AL 117 375 29 83 12 1 5 41 0 37 72 0.221 .256 (-14%) .324 (-10%) .369 (-19%) .693 (-15%) -1011.4

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 3 2 13 0 0 3
2B 42 39 106 107 7 44
3B 2130 2116 1955 4581 317 395
OF 8 8 12 1 1 0
SS 18 7 14 28 2 7

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1960 CHN 3B 94 94 78 144 13 6
1961 CHN 3B 153 152 157 307 31 41
1962 CHN 3B 157 156 161 332 23 33
1962 CHN SS 8 3 6 11 1 2
1963 CHN 3B 162 162 136 374 26 25
1964 CHN 3B 161 161 156 367 20 31
1965 CHN 3B 164 164 155 373 24 27
1966 CHN 3B 152 151 150 391 25 36
1966 CHN SS 8 4 7 17 1 5
1967 CHN 3B 161 161 187 393 26 33
1968 CHN 3B 162 162 130 378 15 33
1969 CHN 3B 160 159 144 334 27 23
1970 CHN 3B 152 151 143 320 27 36
1970 CHN OF 1 1 1 0 0 0
1971 CHN 3B 149 147 118 274 17 29
1971 CHN OF 6 6 10 1 1 0
1972 CHN 2B 3 2 9 8 1 4
1972 CHN 3B 129 128 108 274 21 19
1972 CHN OF 1 1 1 0 0 0
1972 CHN SS 1 0 1 0 0 0
1973 CHN 3B 146 146 107 271 20 17
1974 CHA 1B 3 2 13 0 0 3
1974 CHA 2B 39 37 97 99 6 40
1974 CHA 3B 28 22 25 49 2 6
1974 CHA SS 1 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 3
Second Base 42
Third Base 2129
Shortstop 18
Left Field 8
Designated Hitter 47

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1973 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
1973 Player of the Week Week of 1973-06-29
1972 TSN All-Star 3B
1969 TSN All-Star 3B
1968 Gold Glove 3B
1968 TSN All-Star 3B
1967 Gold Glove 3B
1967 TSN All-Star 3B
1966 Gold Glove 3B
1966 TSN All-Star 3B
1965 Gold Glove 3B
1964 Gold Glove 3B

Featured In Rankings

#9
Top 20 Third Basemen in History of MLB Baseball
Ranked 9 of 20
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Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1969 Most Valuable Player NL 5th 124.0 336 0
1968 Most Valuable Player NL 24th 2.0 280 0
1967 Most Valuable Player NL 4th 103.0 280 0
1966 Most Valuable Player NL 12th 23.0 280 0
1965 Most Valuable Player NL 18th 11.0 280 0
1964 Most Valuable Player NL 8th 59.0 280 0
1963 Most Valuable Player NL 8th 41.0 280 0
1960 Rookie of the Year NL 4th 2.0 24 2