A native of Caldwell, N.J., Santomauro was selected by the New York Mets in the 10th round of the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft and is currently playing professionally for the Savannah Sand Gnats one of the New York Mets' minor league single-A affiliate teams.
The government major made the decision to leave Dartmouth in pursuit of bigger dreams in June of 2009 when he signed a seven-year contract with the Sand Gnats. He attributed his decision to leave to opportune timing.
"It came down to me wanting to start my professional career as soon as I could," Santomauro said in an interview with The Dartmouth. " It was the best time [to leave] and it was the best opportunity for me at the time. After your senior year, you have no clout, no bargaining power, so if you leave after your junior year, you can always say I don't want that and go back to senior year."
Despite his commitment to the sport, Santomauro faced adversity at the start of his minor league career when he was sidelined during his first year with the Gnats because of an arm injury. Although he was not able to begin training with the team until this Spring, the injury allowed him to focus on academics.
"[The injury] allowed me to come back for two terms," Santomauro said. "I'm planning on finishing in the Fall, so I'm just one term late."
Santomauro has now fully rehabilitated his arm and joined the Sand Gnats on the road. He is currently batting .135 for the team and has amassed five hits in nine games.
In the transition from intercollegiate baseball to professional baseball, Santomauro said he found that one of the biggest challenges he faces is also one of the adjustments he has found most rewarding the heightened level of play.
"Everyone's just that much better," he explained. "If you take all the best players from college, it creates a bottleneck of talent and it's just that much harder to perform well and that much more fun too."
Santomauro added that he has also had to adjust to playing games daily.
The Big Green usually appears in 45 games during its regular season. His new team, however, plays 132 games a season and travels greater distances to play. The Savannah Gnats have just three off days every month, which can be taxing at times, Santomauro said.
Nonetheless, Santomauro said he is enjoying the constant action because it allows him to improve every day.
"It's been really nice to get consistent with my swing," he said.
Another advantage Santomauro is enjoying is the ability to train with some of the Major League's best players, he said.
"I've met a lot of guys from the Mets organization," he said. "Daniel Murphy was helping me a lot with my swing. [The players] come down a lot, and we're all in the same organization, so it's not really like you get star-struck anymore when you see them."
Santomauro is not just enjoying the improved level of competition, but he has also found his teammates to be both fun and encouraging. When asked if he had accumulated any good stories during his time, Santomauro replied with a laugh.
"I'm not sure if I have any that are printable," he said.
Although he will not be suiting up for the Major Leagues in the immediate future, Santomauro said his ambition is to play for a "big league club" in the next five years.
For other Dartmouth students looking to play a professional sport, Santomauro advised that athletes remain persistent.
"Don't get stressed out when you're making the adjustment to playing professionally," he said. "When you're struggling at first, just let the play come to you and everything will level out just like it did in college."
The Sand Gnats (24-15) are currently second in their division and will continue playing through the summer. Santomauro and the Savannah Sand Gnats next face Georgia's Rome Braves Thursday at 7:05 p.m. in Savannah, Ga.
