Prospect Santos 'electric' in Spring Breakout start
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Malcolm Moore knew Winston Santos was locked in before he even threw a pitch. In the second annual Spring Breakout game, Santos -- the Rangers’ No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- was throwing to Moore, the Rangers’ No. 4 prospect and highest-ranked catcher. The battery more
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Malcolm Moore knew Winston Santos was locked in before he even threw a pitch.
In the second annual Spring Breakout game, Santos -- the Rangers’ No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- was throwing to Moore, the Rangers’ No. 4 prospect and highest-ranked catcher. The battery more than delivered in a 5-5 tie vs. Giants prospects.
Santos cruised through his Spring Breakout start, tossing three perfect frames with six strikeouts: four swinging, one looking and one via pitch timer violation. He threw an efficient 37 pitches, 26 for strikes with 12 whiffs.
“You don't get a guy locked in like that very often,” Moore said. “When you do, you like to catch that. You wish everybody was like that every time, honestly. It's fun, because it doesn't really matter what I put down. He's just going to do it and it's going to get the guy out.
“You could see it when he was warming up. You can kind of just see it in the way it's coming out of his hand, and the way that he’s going about his business and the confidence that he has. It's a whole body confidence. … He was electric.”
When asked if Moore was correct in his assumption, Santos said he did feel locked in because he prepared as well as possible beforehand. He felt ready to do his job from the jump.
“I’ve learned a lot this spring and I’ve been enjoying making adjustments and I'm just ready to go,” Santos said through interpreter Nick Janssen. “I made some small changes to improve my control [last season] and I just enjoy the game. I just want to keep learning. Those adjustments helped me. I just want to keep building and getting better.”
His professional debut was delayed due to the pandemic, but there were high expectations both internally and externally. He threw just 33 innings in 2021 before posting a 3.49 ERA in 108 1/3 innings with Single-A Down East in 2022.
Santos is part of the latest crop of Rangers pitching prospects looking to turn the tide on the organizational perception regarding pitching development.
There’s Cody Bradford, who ingrained himself in the big league rotation before an injury this spring, the Vandy Boys duo of Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker knocking on the door as we speak, and then Santos and Emiliano Teodo -- who cleaned up a bases-loaded jam in relief in Spring Breakout -- headlining the next group of homegrown starting pitchers.
“We've talked a lot about our pitching pipeline, our pitching development practices, and we're not all the way there yet,” general manager Ross Fenstermaker said earlier this week. “We feel like we've created quite a decent-sized group in terms of guys that can come up and help contribute here in the near future. I feel like in some ways, [Teodo] has become too famous with what he's done here in camp, and Winston is right behind him as well.”
Santos was signed for just $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic in the Rangers’ 2019-20 international class, and it’s been an improbable rise and fall and rise again for him in the following years.
But then he struggled to a 6.29 ERA in 98 2/3 innings with High-A Hickory in 2024 before finally showing his full potential in 2024.
He boasted a 3.67 ERA between Hickory and Double-A Frisco last season, leading the farm in wins (11) and strikeouts (138 in 110 1/3 innings). He pitched in the All-Star Futures Game and was added to the Rangers’ 40-man roster this offseason.
Frisco manager Carlos Cardoza, who also managed the Spring Breakout game, raved about Santos last season and is even higher on the 22-year-old now.
“I see an electric fastball and improvement in his secondary stuff,” Cardoza said. “Once he was able to get the slider underneath the bats, it just kind of took off from there. That's between the lines. I think what stood out the most was his professionalism and how steadfast and committed he was to his routine and his body and his work between starts.”
“We’re seeing all see the fruits of the labor that's been put in the last couple of years and the kind of synergy that exists between the different departments [in pitching development]. Ross has said it: It’s not a finished product by any means, but it's certainly a bright spot with what the system is doing.”
Fifth Third Park's Stadium Art is Just as Eye-Catching as its Baseball
Opening Night at Fifth Third Park for the Hub City Spartanburgers is less than three weeks away. When fans walk into the brand-new ballpark, they will be met by all the classic sights, sounds and smells in professional baseball’s return to Spartanburg, South Carolina. It won’t be just what is
Rangers Announce 2025 Spartanburgers Preliminary Roster
SPARTANBURG, SC — In partnership with the Texas Rangers, the Hub City Spartanburgers have announced their preliminary roster for the inaugural 2025 season. The Spartanburgers begin the campaign with five of the Rangers’ top 30 prospects per MLB Pipeline, and the Rangers’ top three draft picks from 2024. To view
Hub City Spartanburgers Announce Partnership with Spartan Waste
SPARTANBURG, SC – The Hub City Spartanburgers are proud to announce Spartan Waste as the official waste management partner of the Spartanburgers. Spartan Waste has teamed up with the Spartanburgers to bring various events to Fifth Third Park, including Spartanburga Nights on May 21. “Spartan Waste is a company that
“A Self-Made Coach”: How Chad Comer Got His Start in the Rangers’ Backyard
University of Texas at Arlington assistant coach Darin Thomas called a skinny freshman into his office shortly before the start of the 2007 season. A late offseason addition to a veteran roster, the local kid from Mansfield had gone through the wringer in his first year of college, warding off
Spartanburgers Announce Partnership With Carolina Miracle League
SPARTANBURG, SC - The Hub City Spartanburgers are excited to announce their partnership with the Carolina Miracle League to present Baseball is For Everyone Night on July 29 at Fifth Third Park. “In 2007, the Carolina Miracle League made history for the special needs community in Spartanburg by providing a
Spartanburgers Announce 2025 Promotional Schedule
Spartanburg, SC – The Hub City Spartanburgers have released their 2025 promotional schedule, featuring 66 unique theme nights. Each of the Spartanburgers’ 12 home series will be filled with high-level talent on the field – and hysterical hijinks off it – bringing a new batch of memories to the Sparkle
Spartanburgers Partner with Mazda of Spartanburg to Honor Local Educators
Spartanburg, SC — The Hub City Spartanburgers have teamed up with Mazda of Spartanburg to highlight the hard work of local teachers and educators throughout the Upstate. Mazda of Spartanburg will honor a “Teacher of the Game” for half of the Spartanburgers’ games at Fifth Third Park in 2025. “Mazda
Spartanburgers Announce Job Fair Prior to Inaugural Season
SPARTANBURG, SC – The Hub City Spartanburgers are excited to announce their inaugural job fair, inviting locals to be a part of the team’s historic first season. The Spartanburgers job fair will take place on Saturday, March 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Spartanburg Marriott (299 N
Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Announced as Cornerstone Partner and Official Healthcare Provider of the Hub City Spartanburgers
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Hub City Spartanburgers are proud to introduce Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System as a Cornerstone Partner and the Official Healthcare Provider of the Spartanburgers. Through the healthcare system’s Sports Medicine Institute, physicians will provide expert orthopedic care to Spartanburger players, attending home games and working with the
Unsworth Named Voice of the Spartanburgers for Inaugural Season
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Hub City Spartanburgers announced Thursday Ian Unsworth has joined the organization as the Broadcaster and Media Relations Manager. The resident of the Carolinas will broadcast all 132 games of the Spartanburgers’ inaugural 2025 season, with the majority of those being aired on Fox Sports Spartanburg 98.3
Spartanburgers Seeking Additions to In-Venue Entertainment Team
If you’ve ever been described as a “ball of energy,” or better yet, “the life of the party,” there’s a place for you at Fifth Third Park! The Hub City Spartanburgers’ dynamic entertainment team is looking to add two In-Game Hosts and a Music Director who will bring sizzle and
Spartanburgers Schedule Exhibitions Against Hickory Crawdads
SPARTANBURG, SC — In partnership with their parent club, the Texas Rangers, the Hub City Spartanburgers announced Tuesday, February 4 the Spartanburgers will play a home-and-home exhibition series with the Hickory Crawdads (Rangers Low-A) April 1 and 2. The first contest will take place at L.P. Frans Stadium, the Crawdads’
Fifth Third Park to Host Historic First Baseball Game Between Wofford College and USC Upstate
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (January 22, 2025) – The Hub City Spartanburgers are proud to announce the first-ever baseball game at Fifth Third Park will showcase two of Spartanburg's local Division-I programs, Wofford College and University of South Carolina Upstate. The game is set for 6:35 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 1st,
Chad Comer Tabbed as First Spartanburgers’ Skipper
Spartanburg, SC- The Texas Rangers have announced the field staffs for each of their minor league affiliates, including the first ever coaching staff for their newest High-A club, the Hub City Spartanburgers. Chad Comer will take the reigns as manager for the Spartanburgers in their inaugural season. Comer has spent
Hub City Spartanburgers Raise Over $12,000 for Hurricane Helene Relief
Spartanburg, S.C. — As the communities of South Carolina and Western North Carolina prepare for the holiday season in the wake of Hurricane Helene, the Hub City Spartanburgers wish all first responders, line workers, and those impacted by the storm a happy holiday season. The Spartanburgers extend their gratitude to
Hub City Spartanburgers Announce Media Partnership With FOX Sports Spartanburg
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (October 29, 2024) – The Hub City Spartanburgers, High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, and FOX Sports Spartanburg announced today a long-term partnership that makes 98.3FM the home of the Spartanburgers Baseball Network. The majority of the Spartanburgers’ 132 regular season games and postseason games will be broadcast
Hub City Spartanburgers Raise over $7,500 for Hurricane Helene Relief
Spartanburg, S.C. — As the community continues to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Helene, the Hub City Spartanburgers extend a heartfelt thanks to the courageous first responders and line workers who have worked tirelessly to restore safety and power to the communities of South Carolina and Western North Carolina.
Hub City Spartanburgers Release Hurricane Helene Relief Tee to Support Relief Efforts
In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact, the Hub City Spartanburgers are releasing a limited-edition Hurricane Helene Relief Tee to raise money to support community relief efforts in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. “Over the past week, Spartanburg and our surrounding communities have been going through more
Fifth Third Bank to Serve as Title Sponsor of Spartanburgers’ New Education Program
SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA – As part of Fifth Third Bank’s partnership with the Hub City Spartanburgers, the Bank plans to incorporate a robust community impact initiative featuring a strong emphasis on financial literacy for local students. Fifth Third Bank signed a multi-year agreement last year with Spartanburgers owner Diamond Baseball
Hub City to play in South Atlantic League beginning in 2025
We are excited to announce that we will be playing in the South Division of the South Atlantic League starting in 2025! Get ready for local rivalries and some fun times at Fifth Third Park! Be on the lookout for our 2025 scheduled coming soon! More info from MiLB's official
South Atlantic, Carolina Leagues to realign in 2025
Minor League Baseball announced the realignment of the High-A South Atlantic League and the Single-A Carolina League for the 2025 season.
Hub City Spartanburgers Announce Cornerstone Partnership with Spartanburg Community College
SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA -- Spartanburg Community College (SCC) proudly announces its landmark partnership with the Hub City Spartanburgers, becoming an official Cornerstone Partner of the team. This historic collaboration marks the first of its kind in South Carolina, solidifying SCC's commitment to innovative partnerships that uplift the community and its