Ervin Santana is a Dominican-born professional baseball player who has had a successful career in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is a right-handed pitcher who has played for several teams throughout his career, including the Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, and Chicago White Sox.
Santana began his professional career in 2000 when he signed with the Anaheim Angels as an amateur free agent. He spent several years in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut in 2005. In his rookie season, he had a record of 12-8 with a 4.65 ERA and 141 strikeouts. He quickly established himself as a reliable starting pitcher for the Angels and helped lead them to the playoffs in 2005 and 2007.
In 2008, Santana had a breakout season, finishing with a record of 16-7 and a 3.49 ERA. He was named an All-Star for the first time in his career and finished sixth in the American League Cy Young Award voting. He continued to pitch well for the Angels over the next few seasons, but struggled with injuries in 2012 and 2013.
After spending eight seasons with the Angels, Santana became a free agent and signed with the Kansas City Royals in 2013. He had a solid season with the Royals, finishing with a record of 9-10 and a 3.24 ERA. He helped lead the team to the playoffs, where they advanced to the World Series but ultimately lost to the San Francisco Giants.
Santana spent one season with the Atlanta Braves in 2014 before signing with the Minnesota Twins in 2015. He had a strong season with the Twins, finishing with a record of 7-5 and a 4.00 ERA. He followed that up with an even better season in 2016, finishing with a record of 7-11 and a 3.38 ERA. He was named an All-Star for the second time in his career and finished seventh in the American League Cy Young Award voting.
Santana struggled with injuries in 2018 and missed the entire season. He signed with the Chicago White Sox in 2020 but did not play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He announced his retirement from baseball in January 2021.
Throughout his career, Santana was known for his fastball, slider, and changeup. He finished with a career record of 149-125 and a 4.09 ERA. He struck out 1,926 batters and threw nine complete games and five shutouts. He was a two-time All-Star and finished in the top ten in Cy Young Award voting twice.
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