Santana Claims California League MVP After Power-Packed Season
At just 23 years old,
Inland Empire 66ers right fielder
Natanael Santana may only be scratching the surface of his potential. That notion becomes even more impressive considering his 2024 campaign was strong enough to earn him the
California League Most Valuable Player Award. “See the ball, hit the ball,”
Santana said. “That’s my basic approach.”
Simple as it sounds, the results were undeniable.
Santana batted .236 with a .368 on-base percentage, appearing in 126 games and collecting 98 hits, 12 doubles, 2 triples, and a league-best 36 home runs. He drove in 77 runs and scored 68, anchoring the
66ers lineup all season.
Santana secured five of eight first-place votes, edging out
Rancho Cucamonga’s Jake Vogel (.269/.429/.493; 7.5 WAR), who earned the remaining three and finished second.
Stockton’s Colby Thomas (.263/.357/.515; 4.6 WAR) placed third in the balloting.
Code:
Player Team 1st Place Total Pts
Natanael Santana Inland Empire 66ers 5 97
Jake Vogel Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 3 85
Colby Thomas Stockton Ports 0 66
Caleb Hobson Fresno Grizzlies 0 43
Josue De Paula Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 0 33
Kelvin Hidalgo Fresno Grizzlies 0 32
Yunior Garcia Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 0 23
Jean Perez Fresno Grizzlies 0 23
Wilman Diaz Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 0 18
Andy Perez Fresno Grizzlies 0 18
Ryan Lasko Stockton Ports 0 16
Angel Diaz Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 0 11
Junior Franco Visalia Rawhide 0 7