Hector Santiago is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for several teams during his career. He was born on December 16, 1987, in Newark, New Jersey, and attended Bloomfield Tech High School. Santiago was not highly recruited out of high school and went on to play college baseball at Okaloosa-Walton Community College in Florida.
Santiago was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 30th round of the 2006 MLB draft. He spent several years in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut on July 6, 2011, against the Kansas City Royals. Santiago pitched well in his rookie season, finishing with a 4-1 record and a 3.33 ERA in 42 games.
Santiago continued to pitch for the White Sox for the next two seasons before being traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2014. He spent two seasons with the Angels before being traded to the Minnesota Twins in 2016. Santiago struggled with the Twins, posting a 10-14 record and a 5.61 ERA in 42 games over two seasons.
After his time with the Twins, Santiago signed with the New York Mets in 2018. He appeared in 24 games for the Mets, mostly as a reliever, and finished with a 1-1 record and a 4.50 ERA. Santiago then signed with the Chicago White Sox for the 2019 season, but he struggled and was released in June.
Santiago signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners in 2020 but did not make an appearance due to the shortened season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He signed with the Detroit Tigers in 2021 but was released in May after appearing in just two games.
Overall, Santiago had a solid career as a left-handed pitcher in the MLB. He finished with a 48-51 record and a 4.12 ERA in 301 games, including 137 starts. Santiago was known for his versatility, as he was able to pitch both as a starter and a reliever. He also had a unique delivery, in which he would turn his back to the batter before delivering the pitch.
Off the field, Santiago was known for his charitable work. He was involved with several organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Santiago was also a mentor to young players and was known for his positive attitude and work ethic.
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