Johan Santana is a former professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 12 seasons. He was born on March 13, 1979, in Tovar, Venezuela, and began his baseball career in the Houston Astros organization in 1995. Santana made his MLB debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2000 and quickly established himself as one of the best pitchers in the league.
Santana's career highlights include two Cy Young Awards, four All-Star selections, and a no-hitter. He was known for his devastating changeup and his ability to strike out batters at a high rate. Santana's best season came in 2004 when he went 20-6 with a 2.61 ERA and 265 strikeouts. He won his first Cy Young Award that year and finished third in the MVP voting.
In 2008, Santana was traded to the New York Mets in a blockbuster deal that sent four prospects to the Twins. He signed a six-year, $137.5 million contract with the Mets, making him one of the highest-paid players in the league at the time. Santana had a solid first season with the Mets, going 16-7 with a 2.53 ERA and 206 strikeouts. He also threw the first no-hitter in Mets history on June 1, 2012, against the St. Louis Cardinals.
However, injuries began to take a toll on Santana's career. He missed the entire 2011 season due to shoulder surgery and struggled to stay healthy in 2012. Santana made his last MLB appearance on August 17, 2012, and underwent another shoulder surgery the following year. He attempted a comeback with the Baltimore Orioles in 2014 but was released during spring training.
Despite his shortened career, Santana is considered one of the best pitchers of his generation. He finished his career with a record of 139-78, a 3.20 ERA, and 1,988 strikeouts in 2,025.2 innings pitched. Santana was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2018 and is remembered as one of the greatest players in franchise history.
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