"If Anthony Santander stays off the shelf, he's got a legitimate shot at bringing home the comeback player of the year award in 2026. The power is in there, it always has been, but injuries hindered him and he was never able to tap into his 44 home run power which he displayed the year prior in Baltimore. It's safe to say, Santander is more than ready to turn the page and head into 2026 with a clean slate."
"Over 54 games in 2025, Santander ended up hitting just .175 with six home runs and a .565 OPS. What makes his comeback player of the year case so compelling, is just how dominant he was in 2024, how sharp the drop-off was, and how clearly it points to a season spent less than fully healthy. The power gap between Santander's 2024 and 2025 seasons shows up clearly in the raw contact numbers."
Anthony Santander signed a five-year, $92.5 million deal and must return to form for the Blue Jays after a difficult 2025 season. Santander struggled as a notorious slow starter and played through a left shoulder subluxation that sidelined him for nearly four months and later suffered a back injury that ended his season. Over 54 games in 2025 he hit .175 with six home runs and a .565 OPS. In 2024 he produced 55 barrels on 471 batted balls (11.7% barrel rate) with a 114.4 mph max exit velocity and a 35.0% sweet-spot rate, indicating a sharp, health-related decline in 2025.
Read at Jays Journal
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