LAKE MARY, Fla.- Over the past several years, the Leesburg Lightning have become the Florida League's dominant franchise, winning two of the last three FCSL titles and playing for the Whiting Cup in each of the last four seasons.

 

However, the league's top honor for an offensive player, Florida League Player of the Year, had not gone to a Leesburg player since 2016.

 

Until now.

 

Leesburg infielder Gabriel Santiago (Coker) has been selected as the 2023 Florida League Player of the Year. Santiago is the first Leesburg MVP since Harrison Scanlon, who was the Player of the Year selection in 2016. Santiago also becomes the first player in Florida League history to win both the Player of the Year award and the David Eckstein Sportsmanship Award, which he won last season, in a single FCSL career.

 

The Florida League Player of the Year award, which has also been given to major leaguers such as the Baltimore Orioles' Austin Hays, is selected via a vote of the Florida League's staff, coaches, and scorekeepers. Santiago earned the honor after leading Leesburg to their fourth league championship.

 

Santiago was the heartbeat of the Lightning order, hitting near the top of head coach Rich Billings' lineup all season long. The infielder racked up 32 hits in 28 games, giving him a .372 batting average that earned him the League batting title. Santiago also led the Florida League with 34 runs scored, and added another 12 runs batted in. 

 

In addition to leading the league in batting average, runs scored, stolen bases, and on base percentage, the Leesburg fan favorite ranked among the top ten player in the Florida League in hits, doubles, OPS, runs created, and slugging percentage.

 

Once Santiago reached base, which he did at a ridiculous .505 clip, the Orlando native was even more lethal. The Coker College Cobra stole a Leesburg-record 30 bases, a total that ranked fourth in Florida League history. Including last season, Santiago has stolen 54 bases in a Leesburg uniform, another total that ranks among the top ten in FCSL history.

 

Santiago then played a key role in bringing the Whiting Cup back to Leesburg. The infielder reached base in all five of Leesburg's playoff games, but saved his most impactful performance for Game 3 of the Florida League Championship Series. Santiago went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and another batted in during the Lightning's title-clinching 7-2 win.