Anthony Santander named 2020 Most Valuable Oriole

The Orioles today announced that outfielder Anthony Santander has been voted the winner of the 2020 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award by members of the local media who cover the team on a regular basis.

Santander finished the season hitting .261/.315/.575 (40-for-153) with 13 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 24 runs scored, 32 RBI, and 10 walks. His season was cut short after being placed on the Injured List with a strained right oblique on September 5. At the time of his injury, Santander was leading the American League in extra-base hits (25), ranked tied for second in doubles (13), third in total bases (88), tied for third in RBI (32), sixth in slugging percentage (.575), and tied for sixth in home runs (11).

Santander set a career-high with an 18-game hitting streak from August 5-23. It is the longest hitting streak by an Oriole this season and the longest by an Oriole since Nick Markakis in 2014. His hitting streak is tied for the second-longest streak in the majors this season. Santander also recorded an RBI in a career-high eight-straight games from August 6-14 (13 total), the longest RBI streak by an Oriole since Jonathan Schoop in 2017. He collected his first of two multi-homer games on August 16 vs. WSH, including hitting the Orioles' first home run onto Eutaw Street this season, his third career Eutaw Street homer.

Santander leads the Orioles in RBI, extra-base hits, and slugging percentage, ranks second in home runs and total bases, and third in runs scored, doubles, and OPS. His single on August 2 vs. TB is the hardest hit ball by an Oriole this season (113.2 MPH), according to Statcast, and his 47 hard-hit balls (95+ MPH exit velocity) are tied for the second-most on the team. He made 35 starts in right field and one in left field and leads the Orioles with four outfield assists.

The Most Valuable Oriole Award is named in honor of the late Lou Hatter, a former sportswriter for The Baltimore Sun who covered the Orioles for 27 years. Balloting for the Most Valuable Oriole Award is conducted with voting on a 5-3-1 basis. Also receiving votes were Hanser Alberto, José Iglesias, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, Renato Núñez, Rio Ruiz, Tanner Scott, Pedro Severino and César Valdez.