Ron Santo
Santo might be the most underrated third baseman in baseball history, a player whose defensive brilliance and offensive consistency were overshadowed by playing for mediocre Cubs teams during his peak years. His nine All-Star selections and five Gold Gloves tell only part of the story — he was baseball's premier hot corner defender during the 1960s while posting an OPS+ of 112 across 15 seasons.
The numbers reveal remarkable durability and production. Santo's 342 home runs ranked among the top totals for third basemen when he retired, and his .277 average came during an era when pitching dominated. His 1972 season at age 32 showcased his complete game: a .302 average with an .878 OPS that was 32 percent better than league average.
What made Santo special was his combination of flashy defense and patient hitting. He understood the strike zone and could turn on mistake pitches, a skill set that aged well. The Veterans Committee finally recognized his contributions in 2012, two years after his death.
Career · Batting
15 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | CHC | 95 | 347 | 9 | 44 | .251 | .720 | — |
| 1961 | CHC | 154 | 578 | 23 | 83 | .284 | .842 | — |
| 1962 | CHC | 162 | 604 | 17 | 83 | .227 | .659 | — |
| 1963 | CHC | 162 | 630 | 25 | 99 | .297 | .820 | — |
| 1964 | CHC | 161 | 592 | 30 | 114 | .313 | .962 | — |
| 1965 | CHC | 164 | 608 | 33 | 101 | .285 | .888 | — |
| 1966 | CHC | 155 | 561 | 30 | 94 | .312 | .950 | — |
| 1967 | CHC | 161 | 586 | 31 | 98 | .300 | .906 | — |
| 1968 | CHC | 162 | 577 | 26 | 98 | .246 | .775 | — |
| 1969 | CHC | 160 | 575 | 29 | 123 | .289 | .869 | — |
| 1970 | CHC | 154 | 555 | 26 | 114 | .267 | .844 | 119 |
| 1971 | CHC | 154 | 555 | 21 | 88 | .267 | .778 | 114 |
| 1972 | CHC | 133 | 464 | 17 | 74 | .302 | .878 | 132 |
| 1973 | CHC | 149 | 536 | 20 | 77 | .267 | .788 | 112 |
| 1974 | CWS | 117 | 375 | 5 | 41 | .221 | .591 | 85 |
| Career | 2243 | 8143 | 342 | 1331 | .277 | — | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.