1. Early life and background
Cristian Andres Santana was born on November 25, 2003, in Azua, Azua Province, Dominican Republic. He is a Dominican national.
2. Professional career
Santana's professional baseball career began in 2021, and he has since developed within the Detroit Tigers' minor league system, progressing from the Dominican Summer League to Single-A ball.
2.1. Signing with Detroit Tigers
Santana signed with the Detroit Tigers as an international amateur free agent in January 2021. He received a signing bonus of 2.95 M USD, which represented the largest bonus ever paid by the Tigers to an international player.
2.2. Dominican Summer League (2021)
During the 2021 season, Santana made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Tigers. He appeared in 54 games, compiling a batting average of .269. In this season, he hit 9 home runs, recorded 27 runs batted in, and stole 12 stolen bases.
2.3. Minor League career (2022)
In the 2022 season, Santana played for the Tigers' Single-A affiliate, the Lakeland Flying Tigers. He appeared in 72 games for the team, where he achieved a .207 batting average and a .377 on-base percentage. During this season, he also recorded 54 base on balls, hit 8 home runs, and stole 10 bases.
2.4. Training and development
Before the start of the 2022 season, Santana underwent training with former major league shortstop Alan Trammell. During this period of development, Santana expressed his high aspirations, stating that "if God allows me, I plan to be better than him," referring to Trammell. This declaration highlighted his confidence and ambition for his professional trajectory.