Carlos Santana of the Cleveland Guardians is no stranger to Major League Baseball milestones. Now in his third stint in Cleveland, he can add another to his checklist.
After he completed the game on May 25th, Cleveland took a moment to celebrate their longtime first baseman, as he accomplished only a select few current MLB players can say they have done. Santana has accumulated 15 years of MLB service time.
As he told Guardians beat reporter Tim Stebbins, “[I’ve had a] great career. I’m blessed. I thank God every day before I sleep and after for giving me so much opportunity and energy to keep playing.”
While he and the Guardians are going through the doldrums right now, his experience level is very beneficial to a young team like Cleveland.
But just think about it. 15 years of service time. For Carlos Santana, that just proves how successful his career is. It’s also a testament to the longevity of players in today’s MLB.
For anyone who is lucky enough to accumulate that number, that proves the player has a boatload of talent. And the physical aspects are in pretty good shape, as well.
To have a career that gets to 10 years of MLB service time is an impressive feat in its own right. 15 years, that’s just special.
Santana is also one of five position players to reach the 15-year MLB service time milestone in 2025. The other four who have hit the mark before him are some pretty elite and decorated names:
MLB Position Players With 15 Years of Service Time Besides Carlos Santana
- 1B Freddie Freeman (Atlanta Braves/LA Dodgers – 2010 debut)
- OF Jason Heyward (Braves/St. Louis Cardinals/Chicago Cubs/Dodgers/Houston Astros/San Diego Padres – 2010 debut)
- IF Justin Turner (Baltimore Orioles/New York Mets/Dodgers/Boston Red Sox/Toronto Blue Jays/Seattle Mariners/Cubs – 2009 debut)
- OF Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh Pirates/San Francisco Giants/New York Yankees/Philadelphia Phillies/Milwaukee Brewers – 2009 debut with Pittsburgh)
So, yes, it could be fair to call Carlos Santana “grandpa” in the Guardians clubhouse. But his veteran leadership could help spur the Guardians into a team that will be in the fight for years to come.
The post Carlos Santana Hits Major MLB Milestone appeared first on Cleveland Sports Talk .