Duke Baseball Recruit Spotlight: Jonathan Santucci

DURHAM, N.C. – Head coach Chris Pollard and the Duke baseball program are excited to welcome the Blue Devils' 2021 recruiting class.

Over the coming weeks, Duke will release individual details about its 12-member class. Next up is left-handed pitcher and outfielder Jonathan Santucci.

"Jonathan Santucci is, without a doubt, one of the most talented players in the country," Pollard said. "Ever since he stepped onto campus for our baseball camp during his sophomore year he has shown the ability to combine one of the strongest outfield arms in amateur baseball with a unique feel for barreling the baseball. As he has continued to get bigger and stronger over the last two years, that "barrel awareness" has also grown into true power potential at the plate. Jonathan is a "gym rat" who loves to work at his craft, and he comes from great bloodlines as his dad, Steve, was a terrific player in his own right."

Santucci heads to Durham from Leominster, Mass., where he was a three-year letterwinner at Phillips Academy Andover for head coach Kevin Graber. He earned First Team Central New England Prep School honors in 2019 as well as First Team Perfect Game Northeast All-Region accolades in 2020.

His junior year was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he batted .340 during his sophomore season. He recorded 17 hits, 11 runs, three doubles, two triples, one home run and 16 RBI that year. In five appearances on the mound, he allowed just four hits and one run, while striking out 11.

Santucci is rated as the No. 58th overall recruit in the class by Perfect Game and the No. 2 recruit from the state of Massachusetts. He was also named a two-time Perfect Game Underclass All-American (2019 & 2020), while garnering 2019 WWBA Northeast National Championship Most Valuable Player nods. This past year Santucci was selected to the Ultimate Baseball Championship All-Tournament Team and the Perfect Game Southeast Elite Championship All-Tournament Team as well as being chosen to the Perfect Game National Showcase Top Prospect Team. He has participated in a variety of major events as well, including the 2020 Area Code Games and the 2020 East Coast Pro Showcase.

Off the field, Santucci is a member of the National Honor Society and participates in Challengers Baseball, which helps kids with special needs learn the basic fundamentals of baseball.

Santucci's father Steven was a member of the Assumption College baseball program from 1990-93, serving as a team captain in back-to-back seasons (1992 & 1993). He currently holds the all-time season stolen base record with 31 in 1993, while sitting second in the program's records book for highest career batting average (.432 avg.), highest career slugging percentage (.711 avg.), and most runs scored in a season (57 in 1993). He is also fourth in Greyhounds' lore with 76 career stolen bases, tied for sixth in career triples with 10, ninth in career home runs with 22, and 10th in most extra base hits in a career and season with 61 and 24 (1993), respectively.

Steven holds Assumption's record for most hits in a game as he tallied six against Sacred Heart on April 18, 1991. After his final season he was drafted in the 19th round by the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1993 MLB June Amateur Draft.

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Duke Baseball Recruit Spotlight: Jonathan Santucci

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