MDC baseball helps Santiago Espinal get drafted by MLB team
Santiago Espinal had quit baseball. From ages 18 to 20, he didn’t hit, didn’t throw, didn’t work out.
Now, after one impressive season at Miami Dade College and four years in the minors, Espinal, 25, could make his majorleague debut in a couple of weeks as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
An infielder who backs up some of the best second-year talents in baseball (second baseman
Cavan Biggio, shortstop
Bo Bichette), Espinal has dedicated this season to his mother, Ingrid Rivera, who died of cancer at age 52 in December.
“I’ve customized my fielding glove just for her,” said Espinal, a 5-10, 175pounder. “The glove is pink and gray, her two favorite colors. I wrote ‘Mom’ on the outside of the glove.”
Rivera was a selfless person. When she got sick last year, she told Espinal not to come home until he had finished his season.
“It was very tough because I wanted to be home with her,” said Espinal, whose father and two sisters live in Miami. “But she said, ‘Make sure you get to where you want,’ and her words have stayed with me.
“When I got home, I gave her the biggest hug.”
Espinal, a native of the Dominican Republic, moved with his family to Orlando at age 12. However, still struggling with English, Espinal was unable to graduate with his class.
That’s when he went to New York to live with his mother and straighten out his academics. When he returned to Orlando in 2015, he got back to baseball, playing on a collegiate summer-league team.
Weeks later, Danny Price — who was coaching MDC at the time — called
Ken Kelly, the coach of Espinal’s summer team.
“I was looking for a shortstop, but Kelly said he didn’t have one for me,” Price said. “An hour later, Kelly called back. He said, ‘I have a guy. He’s playing center field for me, but he can play anywhere.’ ”
Price drove to Orlando the next day and ultimately signed Espinal, who was the Southern Conference Player of the Year in his one season at MDC, getting the award despite breaking a bone in his hand late in the campaign.
After that 2016 season, he was drafted in the 10th round by the Boston Red Sox.
“I was pushing for him to be drafted in the top five rounds,” said Willie Romay, the Red Sox scout who signed Espinal. “I bet on the kid because of his combination of talent and work ethic.”
At the 2018 trade deadline, Espinal’s career took another turn as he joined Toronto’s organization in a deal for Steve Pearce.
Three months later, Pearce was the MVP of the World Series.
“I was watching TV, and I saw Pearce — it was fun,” Espinal said. “I haven’t met Pearce, but I would like to.”
Pretty soon, others could be watching Espinal, who reached Triple A for the first time last season.
In the past two years, Espinal has averaged 27 doubles, 3.5 triples, 8.5 homers and 65.5 RBI. He stole 12 bases last year but was caught 13 times. And in 395 career minorleague games, he is batting .285 with a .345 onbase percentage and a .735 OPS.
Before the pandemic ended spring training 1.0 in March, Espinal was blazing hot, batting .409 with three homers, two doubles, one triple and six RBI in just 22 at-bats.
Even so, the Jays assigned Espinal to Triple A. However, now that baseball is back in training camp following a fourmonth hiatus, Espinal has another shot at the majors.
This time, his odds are improved because the season will start with a 30-man roster rather than 25, and Espinal has caught the attention of Jays manager Charlie Montoyo ,a native of Puerto Rico.
“He has a chance,” Montoyo told the media, “because he plays different positions.”
Espinal is competing with several veterans for likely two rosters spots for backup infielders, including Joe Panik, 29;
Brandon Drury, 27; and
Ruben Tejada, 30. Drury hit 15 homers last season; Panik was an All-Star in 2015 but has slumped the past two years; and Tejada has just nine major-league at-bats since 2017.
Last week, Espinal stepped inside Toronto’s Rogers Centre for the first time in his career. Later, he spent time is his dorm room, playing video games and taking the coronavirus quarantine rules seriously.
After nearly quitting baseball for good about five years ago, Espinal is now locked in to his sport.
“We’re not allowed to go out, and I haven’t seen my family in more than four months,” he said. “I’m fine in my room by myself. The main thing is to stay healthy.”
FLORIDA MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY
Florida Memorial University announced the addition of softball to the athletics department, with competition slated to begin in Spring 2022.
The University named Pedro Herrera as its first softball coach, and Jonathan Alvarez was tabbed as the women’s inaugural flag football coach.