Dennis Santana Bio
Dennis Anfernee Santana Sánchez (born April 12, 1996) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. Santana has appeared in the major leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, New York Mets and New York Yankees and earned a bronze medal with the Dominican Republic at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Early Life and Background
Dennis Anfernee Santana Sánchez was born on April 12, 1996, and is a native of the Dominican Republic. He entered professional baseball as an international signee and developed through the Los Angeles Dodgers organization before reaching the major leagues.
Santana signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an international free agent in March 2013 and made his professional debut the following year. He began his career in the Dominican Summer League in 2014 and progressed through Rookie and full-season minor league levels over the next several seasons.
Path to Baseball
Santana’s path to professional baseball followed a typical international development track: signing as a teenager, beginning in the Dominican Summer League and moving to rookie ball and Single-A assignments in the United States. His early seasons combined workload and strikeout totals that kept him on prospect lists inside the Dodgers farm system.
Between 2014 and 2017, Santana advanced through the Dodgers’ minor league affiliates, showing enough upside as a starter to be added to the organization’s 40-man roster in November 2017. That move cleared the way for his Triple-A promotion and eventual major league debut in 2018.
Dennis Santana Career
Early Career (2014–2017)
Santana made his professional debut in 2014 with the Dominican Summer League Dodgers, going 2–1 with a 1.05 ERA across twenty games. In 2015 he split time between the Arizona League Dodgers and the Ogden Raptors, and in 2016 he opened eyes with the Great Lakes Loons, posting a 3.07 ERA and recording 124 strikeouts in 111.1 innings while earning Midwest League All-Star recognition.
He began 2017 with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and was promoted to the Tulsa Drillers during that season. Between the two levels he compiled solid innings as a starting prospect and finished 2017 with a body of work that prompted the Dodgers to add him to their 40-man roster on November 20, 2017.
Los Angeles Dodgers Breakthrough (2018–2021)
Santana began 2018 at the Double-A and Triple-A levels and made a strong impression after promotion to the Oklahoma City Dodgers, striking out 11 batters in six scoreless innings in his Triple-A debut and earning Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors. He received his first major league call-up on May 30, 2018, and made his MLB debut on June 1, picking up the win in relief while also contributing a two-RBI double in his first major league at-bat.
Shortly after that debut he was slated to make his first major league start, but a right rotator cuff strain while warming up in the bullpen on June 7, 2018, ended his 2018 season. Over the 2019–2021 span he made multiple appearances for the Dodgers but spent significant time in Triple-A, producing mixed results at the big league level before being designated for assignment in June 2021 after a difficult stretch that season.
Texas Rangers Breakthrough (2021–2022)
On June 17, 2021, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded Santana to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Kelvin Bautista, and he was assigned to the Triple-A Round Rock Express. Santana appeared in 63 games for the Rangers, compiling a 3–8 record and a 5.22 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 58.2 innings, working primarily out of the bullpen.
After the 2022 season the Rangers traded Santana to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations on November 15, 2022, and he signed a one-year contract with the Braves in January 2023 to avoid arbitration. He was subsequently claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins in late February 2023, a sequence that reflected teams’ ongoing interest in his arm despite uneven results.
New York Mets & New York Yankees (2023–2024)
On March 17, 2023, Santana was claimed off waivers by the New York Mets. He made seven appearances for the Mets and was optioned and designated for assignment multiple times during a short stint that included outright assignments to Triple-A and periodic returns to the major league roster. Santana elected free agency from the Mets in August 2023 after several roster moves.
Santana signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees on December 6, 2023, including an invitation to spring training. He began 2024 with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and was promoted to the Yankees’ major league roster on April 5, 2024, when Jonathan Loáisiga was placed on the 60-day injured list. Across 23 appearances with New York he posted a 6.26 ERA and was designated for assignment on June 9, 2024.
Pittsburgh Pirates Era (2024–Present)
The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed Dennis Santana off waivers on June 11, 2024. He settled into a relief role with the Pirates and produced a career-best 2.44 ERA in 39 appearances with 50 strikeouts in 44.1 innings during the 2024 season, reestablishing himself as a dependable bullpen option and earning regular usage in late-inning matchups.
Santana’s arbitration case versus the Pirates concluded in February 2025, leaving him with a $1.4 million salary for the season. In June 2025 he was suspended three games following an on-field incident on June 19 in which he attempted to engage with a fan at Comerica Park; the suspension and the salary ruling were notable off-field developments during his time in Pittsburgh.
Driving Style and Strengths
Santana has functioned primarily as a bullpen pitcher in recent seasons while earlier in his career he worked extensively as a starter in the minors. Through July 1, 2026, he recorded 301 career strikeouts and has shown the ability to generate swing-and-miss stuff in short stints, making him a candidate for late-inning relief work when his command and feel for pitches align.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key moments in Santana’s career include his MLB debut win and two-RBI double on June 1, 2018, his promotion and recognition at Triple-A with an 11-strikeout outing and Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors, and his resurgence with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024 when he posted a career-best ERA across 39 appearances. He also earned a bronze medal with the Dominican Republic at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Dennis Santana Career Wins
Santana’s major league record through July 1, 2026, stands at 17–23 with a 4.24 earned run average and 301 strikeouts. His role has shifted from starter in the minors to a multi-inning option and bullpen arm at the major league level, influencing the distribution of individual wins across seasons and teams.
MLB Highlights
Santana’s first major league win came in his debut on June 1, 2018, when he also recorded a two-RBI double in his first at-bat. His most recent sustained success at the major league level came with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024, when he posted a 2.44 ERA in 39 appearances and recorded 50 strikeouts in 44.1 innings, marking a clear upswing in performance for his relief role.
Other Wins & Performances
In the minors, Santana produced strong strikeout totals, including 124 strikeouts in 111.1 innings with the Great Lakes Loons in 2016 and a multi-level 8–7 campaign in 2017 that led to his addition to the Dodgers’ 40-man roster. Those performances established him as a pitching prospect prior to his major league opportunities.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season saw Santana earn a $1.4 million salary after arbitration and navigate a brief suspension in June related to an on-field incident. On the field he continued to serve as a bullpen option for the Pittsburgh Pirates following his strong 2024 showing, with the organization using him in middle and late relief roles as they evaluated his consistency over extended usage.
Looking forward beyond 2025, Santana’s immediate outlook centers on maintaining command and leveraging his strikeout ability in high-leverage innings for the Pirates. His experience across multiple organizations and his international play for the Dominican Republic at the 2026 World Baseball Classic add context to his role as a veteran reliever on a club seeking bullpen stability.