Gregory Santos joined the Chicago White Sox ahead of the 2023 campaign in an offseason trade with the San Francisco Giants that sent Kade McClure to the Bay Area. While the deal went virtually unnoticed then, Santos proved throughout the season to be a viable relief option for the Pale Hose entering 2024.
The righty won the final bullpen spot over Bryan Shaw and Franklin German during Spring Training. Taking the roster spot of Liam Hendriks, Santos eventually slid into the closer role when Hendriks was lost for the season due to Tommy John surgery.
Despite a rocky start to his career with the Giants and an 80-game PED suspension, Santos flourished with the White Sox.
Elite Stuff
The 24-year-old tossed 66.1 innings, saved five games, and posted a 3.39 ERA. His primary weapons are a power slider and sinker, using the two pitches a staggering 96.4% of the time. Both of those offerings feature above-average vertical movement.
Batters struggle to square up the baseball against these pitches, resulting in minimal hard-hit contact and few home runs. Santos allowed an eye-popping total of three barrels and only two homers on 201 batted balls. His slider, by far his most effective pitch, generated a 37.5 Whiff percentage and +17 run value while hitters only batted .198 against it.
However, his biggest change year over year is the usage of his sinker, which he increased by over 30%. Santos complements the two elite offerings with a fastball that averages 97.4 MPH and a changeup. The changeup is a new pitch for Santos that he only threw 15 times and may need to further incorporate into his mix.
His season ended a bit prematurely when he was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sept. 20 due to elbow inflammation. The White Sox described the decision to shut him down as precautionary.
Final Grade: A-
What's On Tap Next?
Considering Gregory Santos rose from a virtually unknown entering the year to the White Sox' most potent reliever by season's end, we can't view his 2023 campaign as anything but a massive success. Santos produced a well above-average walk rate of 5.9, which is the most essential part of his development as control issues plagued him in the past.
Nevertheless, as we've seen repeatedly, the league will adjust to Santos's repertoire, and the righty must find a way to keep hitters guessing. If he can produce a viable third pitch and refine his sinker, a regression in 2024 can be avoided.
Santos, along with Aaron Bummer and Garrett Crochet, appear to be the only surefire relievers in the White Sox bullpen entering 2024. He'll begin his first year of pre-arbitration, meaning Chicago has him under control for five more seasons.
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