Santiago was signed as an amateur free agent by the San Diego Padres on September 1, 1982.
After playing four seasons in the minor leagues, he made his Major League debut with the Padres on September 14, 1986 at the age of 21.
The next year, Santiago established a Major League record for a rookie by hitting safely in 34 straight games.
It was also the longest hitting streak by a catcher in major league history.
He ended the season with what would be career-highs in hits (164), doubles (33) and batting average (.300).
Santiago was the unanimous selection for the 1987 National League Rookie of the Year Award.
Although he struggled defensively, leading the league in errors and passed balls, his hitting performance earned him the 1987 Silver Slugger Award which is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position.

While Santiago initially made an impression with his offensive statistics, he soon became known for his defensive prowess, most notably for his strong throwing arm.
Santiago was known for his ability to throw out would be base stealers from a kneeling position.
In 1988, he led National League catchers in assists and in baserunners caught stealing with a 45% average when the league average was 30%.
Although he still led the league's catchers with 12 errors, it was an improvement over the 22 he had committed the previous season.
Santiago was awarded the first of three consecutive Gold Glove Awards in 1988.
Santiago also claimed his second successive Silver Slugger Award as the Padres improved to finish in third place in the National League Western Division.

Although he was hitting for only a .236 average at mid-season in 1989, his defensive reputation earned him the starting catcher's role in the 1989 All-Star Game.
He was awarded the 1989 National League Gold Glove Award for catchers, as the Padres climbed to second place in the season's final standings.

Santiago rebounded in 1990 and was hitting for a .317 batting average with 9 home runs in mid-June when he was hit by a pitch and had to miss six weeks of the season.
He finished the season with a .270 average along with 11 home runs and 53 runs batted in to earn his third Silver Slugger Award.
He was also named as a reserve player for the National League team in the 1990 All-Star Game and won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award.

Before the 1991 season, Santiago asked for a four-year contract worth $11 million, but lost his arbitration case and was awarded a one-year contract worth $1.65 million.
A disgruntled Santiago announced that he would leave the Padres when he became eligible for free agency after the 1992 season.
He was also disillusioned when the Padres traded away players such as Joe Carter and Jack Clark.
In June, Padres manager, Greg Riddoch, benched Santiago for his lack of hustle on the playing field.
Despite the difficulties, Santiago led the league's catchers with 100 assists and posted a career-high 87 runs batted in.

Santiago returned to arbitration before the 1992 season, this time winning a $3.3 million one-year contract that made him the highest paid catcher in professional baseball.
In September 1992, the Padres announced that they would not seek to re-sign Santiago, in what was seen as a cost-cutting measure.

Santiago is also unusual for his uniform number; from 1991 to 1994, Santiago wore a jersey with the number 09, making him one of the only major professional sports players to have ever worn a jersey with a leading zero as part of his uniform number.
Santiago was signed as an amateur free agent by the San Diego Padres on September 1, 1982. After playing four seasons in the minor leagues, he made his Major League debut with the Padres on September 14, 1986 at the age of 21. The next year, Santiago established a Major League record for a rookie by hitting safely in 34 straight games. It was also the longest hitting streak by a catcher in major league history. He ended the season with what would be career-highs in hits (164), doubles (33) and batting average (.300). Santiago was the unanimous selection for the 1987 National League Rookie of the Year Award. Although he struggled defensively, leading the league in errors and passed balls, his hitting performance earned him the 1987 Silver Slugger Award which is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position.
While Santiago initially made an impression with his offensive statistics, he soon became known for his defensive prowess, most notably for his strong throwing arm. Santiago was known for his ability to throw out would be base stealers from a kneeling position. In 1988, he led National League catchers in assists and in baserunners caught stealing with a 45% average when the league average was 30%. Although he still led the league's catchers with 12 errors, it was an improvement over the 22 he had committed the previous season. Santiago was awarded the first of three consecutive Gold Glove Awards in 1988. Santiago also claimed his second successive Silver Slugger Award as the Padres improved to finish in third place in the National League Western Division.
Although he was hitting for only a .236 average at mid-season in 1989, his defensive reputation earned him the starting catcher's role in the 1989 All-Star Game. He was awarded the 1989 National League Gold Glove Award for catchers, as the Padres climbed to second place in the season's final standings.
Santiago rebounded in 1990 and was hitting for a .317 batting average with 9 home runs in mid-June when he was hit by a pitch and had to miss six weeks of the season. He finished the season with a .270 average along with 11 home runs and 53 runs batted in to earn his third Silver Slugger Award. He was also named as a reserve player for the National League team in the 1990 All-Star Game and won his third consecutive Gold Glove Award.
Before the 1991 season, Santiago asked for a four-year contract worth $11 million, but lost his arbitration case and was awarded a one-year contract worth $1.65 million. A disgruntled Santiago announced that he would leave the Padres when he became eligible for free agency after the 1992 season. He was also disillusioned when the Padres traded away players such as Joe Carter and Jack Clark. In June, Padres manager, Greg Riddoch, benched Santiago for his lack of hustle on the playing field. Despite the difficulties, Santiago led the league's catchers with 100 assists and posted a career-high 87 runs batted in.
Santiago returned to arbitration before the 1992 season, this time winning a $3.3 million one-year contract that made him the highest paid catcher in professional baseball. In September 1992, the Padres announced that they would not seek to re-sign Santiago, in what was seen as a cost-cutting measure.
Santiago is also unusual for his uniform number; from 1991 to 1994, Santiago wore a jersey with the number 09, making him one of the only major professional sports players to have ever worn a jersey with a leading zero as part of his uniform number.
Benito Santiago