October 8, 2022 at 12:00 PM
September Players of the Month: David Hamilton and Victor Santos
David Hamilton and Victor Santos have been named the SoxProspects.com Players of the Month for the month of September. Both Hamilton (pictured) and Santos ended their first full seasons in the Red Sox organization on a strong note.
In his final 14 games with Portland, Hamilton batted a stout .429/.508/.643 (215 wRC+) with four doubles, one triple, two home runs, 10 RBIs, 15 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, nine walks, and 14 strikeouts over 67 plate appearances. On the 2022 campaign as a whole, the speedy left-handed hitter slashed .251/.338/.402 (104 wRC+) with 16 doubles, nine triples, 12 homers, 42 runs driven in, 81 runs scored, 70 stolen bases, 56 walks, and 119 strikeouts across 119 games (531 plate appearances). He set the Sea Dogs' single-season stolen base record on Sept. 10. His 70 stolen bases were tied for the third-most in all of Minor League Baseball. As a result of such feats, he was named the Red Sox' Minor League Baserunner of the Year.
Hamilton, 25, was originally acquired from the Brewers alongside Alex Binelas and Jackie Bradley Jr. in the December 2021 trade that sent Hunter Renfroe to Milwaukee. The University of Texas at Austin product has elite speed and is capable of playing both middle infield positions as well as some center field. He is currently regarded as the No. 44 prospect in Boston's farm system and can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft later this winter if he is not added to the 40-man roster by the November deadline.
Santos, meanwhile, initially struggled when he made the jump from Portland to Worcester earlier this summer. But the right-hander settled in and ultimately posted a 2.33 ERA and 2.92 FIP to go along with 28 strikeouts to eight walks in his final five starts (27 innings pitched) with the WooSox. Between Double-A and Triple-A this season, Santos pitched to a 4.97 ERA (4.59) FIP with 126 punchouts to 26 walks over 28 total appearances (25 starts) spanning 145 innings of work.
Acquired from the Phillies as the player to be named later in the January 2021 trade that sent C.J. Chatham to Philadelphia, Santos is not ranked as one of the top pitching prospects in the organization. The native Dominican stands at 6-foot-1 and 191 pounds and operates with a 90-92 mph four-seamer that tops out at 93 mph, a low-90s sinker, an 82-84 mph split-changeup, and an 83-86 mph slider.
Like Hamilton, Santos -- who turned 22 in July -- can become Rule 5-eligible later this year if he is not added to Boston's 40-man roster.
Photo Credit: David Hamilton by Kelly O'Connor