Randy Dobnak Bio
Randy Travis William Dobnak (born January 17, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Seattle Mariners organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers. Listed at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) and 230 pounds (100 kg), he throws and bats right-handed. Dobnak reached the major leagues in 2019 after an unconventional path that included playing in an independent baseball league and earning a contract with the Twins through YouTube videos filmed by his father.
Early Life and Background
Dobnak grew up in South Park Township, Pennsylvania, attending South Park High School. He was a lifelong Pittsburgh Pirates fan and estimates attending over 150 games at PNC Park, including Opening Day annually. After high school, he attended Alderson Broaddus University in Philippi, West Virginia, where he played college baseball for the Battlers in NCAA Division II. Alderson Broaddus retired his uniform number in December 2021, honoring his contributions to the program.
Path to Professional Baseball
Despite his college career, Dobnak went undrafted in the 2017 MLB Draft. He played for the Utica Unicorns of the United Shore Professional Baseball League, where he went 3-0 with a 2.31 ERA in six appearances. His YouTube performance videos caught the attention of Twins scouts, leading to an unconventional signing on August 1, 2017, when he signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins for just a $500 signing bonus. Longtime Twins scout Billy Milos never watched Dobnak pitch in person before signing him, relying solely on those videos.
Dobnak began his professional career in 2017 with the Elizabethton Twins and Cedar Rapids Kernels, posting a combined 2-0 record with a 2.43 ERA in 33 innings. He returned to Cedar Rapids in 2018, going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 129 innings. His 2019 minor league season was a breakthrough as he climbed from High-A Fort Myers Miracle to Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos to Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, compiling a 12-4 record with a 2.07 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 135 innings across 24 appearances.
Randy Dobnak Career
Minnesota Twins Breakthrough (2019)
On August 8, 2019, the Twins selected Dobnak’s contract and promoted him to the major leagues. He made his MLB debut on August 9, pitching four scoreless innings in relief. With the Twins that season, he went 2-1 with one save and a 1.59 ERA in nine appearances, striking out 23 batters in 28 and a third innings. He was included on the Twins postseason roster and started Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees.
Minnesota Twins (2020-2021)
In the shortened 2020 season, Dobnak appeared in 10 games with a 6-4 record, 4.05 ERA, and 27 strikeouts in 46 and two-thirds innings. On March 28, 2021, he signed a five-year, $9.25 million extension with three club option years that could have reached $29.75 million total. However, his season was derailed by injury when he was placed on the 60-day injured list on July 17 with a finger strain. He was activated from the injured list on September 1.
Return to Minnesota (2022-2025)
Dobnak began 2022 on the injured list with discomfort in his right middle finger, the same finger that caused issues the previous year. On September 14, the Twins placed him on outright waivers and assigned him to Triple-A St. Paul Saints. He spent the entire 2023 season with St. Paul, going 5-9 with a 5.13 ERA in 31 games (26 starts).
On February 14, 2024, Dobnak joined the Twins in spring training as a non-roster invitee. After posting a 9-5 record with a 3.61 ERA in 21 games for St. Paul, Minnesota selected his contract on July 30, adding him back to the major league roster. He appeared in four games for the Twins that season, compiling a 5.87 ERA with seven strikeouts in seven and two-thirds innings. He was designated for assignment on September 16, cleared waivers, and was sent outright to St. Paul on September 18. The Twins selected his contract again on September 29 to return him to the active roster, but he was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple-A on November 4.
On March 30, 2025, Dobnak pitched five and one-third innings against the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing only one run on two hits. Despite the strong performance, he was designated for assignment the following day. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to St. Paul on April 2.
Detroit Tigers (2025)
On July 28, 2025, the Twins traded Dobnak to the Detroit Tigers as part of a package for pitcher Chris Paddack and outfielder Andrew Gilbert. He made nine appearances (eight starts) for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, posting a 1-1 record and 3.79 ERA with 35 strikeouts over 38 innings. The Tigers declined his 2026 option on November 4, making him a free agent.
Seattle Mariners (2025-Present)
On November 11, 2025, Dobnak signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners that included an invitation to spring training. He joins an organization seeking to bolster its pitching depth as he continues his professional baseball career.
Randy Dobnak Career Wins
Throughout his professional career, Dobnak has accumulated wins across multiple levels of minor league baseball. His MLB career statistics through the 2025 season include a 9-12 win-loss record with a 4.86 earned run average and 85 strikeouts. In the minor leagues, he demonstrated consistent success, including a 12-4 record in 2019 across three levels and a 10-win season at Cedar Rapids in 2018. His standout 2019 campaign, which combined his minor league work with his MLB debut, marked his most productive professional season.
Notable Achievements
Dobnak is regarded as one of the greatest players in United Shore Professional Baseball League history. Out of 52 USPBL alumni who have signed with MLB organizations, Dobnak is one of seven players to have reached the major leagues. His signing by the Twins marked a shift in the way the organization approached scouting independent baseball league players, as the franchise began taking a closer look at prospects highlighted through social media and video platforms.
| Level | Wins | Losses | ERA | Strikeouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLB Career | 9 | 12 | 4.86 | 85 |
| 2019 Minor Leagues | 12 | 4 | 2.07 | 109 |
| 2018 Cedar Rapids | 10 | 5 | 3.14 | – |
Randy Dobnak Family
Personal Life
Dobnak married Aerial Munson on September 28, 2019, in Maryland. When Twins fans shared their online wedding registry link, the couple instead directed donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, ultimately raising over $4,000 for the hospital. They have one daughter together and reside in Falling Waters, West Virginia.
Before his baseball career took off, Dobnak worked as a driver for Uber and Lyft starting in October 2017, maintaining a 4.99 out of 5 rating on the platform. He told MLB.com he has all five-star reviews except for one four-star rating, which he suspects was a mistake. He is also a lifelong fan and player of the fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game RuneScape.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked a transitional year for Dobnak, beginning with the Minnesota Twins organization before a mid-season trade to Detroit. After opening the year with Triple-A St. Paul, he was briefly called up to pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in late March, delivering a quality start before being designated for assignment. He was traded to the Tigers in late July and spent the remainder of the season with Toledo, where his 3.79 ERA in nine appearances showed his continued ability to pitch effectively at the Triple-A level. Following the season, the Tigers declined his option, leading to his signing with Seattle. The 2025 campaign demonstrated Dobnak’s resilience as he navigated roster fluctuations while maintaining solid performance numbers at the minor league level.