Though the Pittsburgh Pirates are still mostly in a tailspin, and the calendar turning to September kicks off the final month of the season, one of the few still inspiring stories of this Pirates team is Dennis Santana.
Santana, who was claimed off waivers from the New York Yankees back on June 11th, was coming off a brutal start to the major league season. The righty had posted a 6.26 ERA, 1.354 WHIP, and a 1.90 K/BB ratio in 27.1 innings with the Yankees.
While he was on the mound for New York, he surrendered 27 total hits and 19 earned runs. Despite him only being in his first year in pinstripes, the Yankees designated the veteran reliever for assignment, where Pittsburgh scooped him up.
His first impression with the Pirates was very underwhelming; in his first month in black and yellow, Santana tossed 11.1 innings and had recorded an 0-1 record, 5.56 ERA, and .298 opposing batting average. He surrendered 14 hits and 7 earned runs.
However, one thing that was noticeable about his work was his strikeout numbers. He struck out 15 batters in that time, and more importantly had only walked 5, for a ratio of 3.00 at the time and a strikeouts per nine innings ratio of 12.16.
It was underlying metrics like that which kept the Pirates intrigued, and it has paid off incredibly well for the team.
Since the All Star Break, Santana has pitched 20.2 innings for Pittsburgh, and the numbers speak for themselves. He has thrown to the tune of a 1.74 ERA (4 total earned runs against), a .177 opposing batting average, and 0.693 WHIP.
Those strikeout ratios, which were already good to begin with, have skyrocketed. He has racked up 24 punch outs to only 2 walks, for a ratio of 12.00 (!) and a strikeout per nine ratio of 10.69. He has really found a way to cut down on the control issues that haunted him earlier in the season, both with the Yankees and the Pirates.
On the season as a whole, Santana has a 5.57 K/BB ratio, which would far and away be the best year of his major league career. Even if you include his time with the Yankees, he still would have a career best 3.41 in that department.
His last 10 games have seen him pitch 13.0 scoreless frames, where he has given up only a pair of hits and has struck out 14. That tremendous work continued last night, when Santana was sent out in the sixth inning to take over from a struggling Jalen Beeks, who had only recorded an out before he was yanked.
Santana was able to secure a double play to end the sixth, and recorded a three-up, three-down inning with a pair of punch outs.
Santana was mostly an afterthought when he first came to the Pirates, but he now has become an important piece of their bullpen, particularly at a time where several of their arms are struggling, or just coming back from injury.
His impressive rebound has allowed the Pirates to use him in higher leverage situations. Of the 10 games he pitched prior to the All Star Break, 8 of them saw him finish the game, usually with the team already down several runs and essentially waving the white flag.
Now, however, Santana is being used with the intention of winning, even if that doesn’t usually happen.
If he can keep this up down the stretch for the Bucs, he will have forced his way onto the team’s roster for 2025. Their bullpen has a lot of good pieces, but could still use some work. If they can get this version of Dennis Santana, that’s one less worry that Pittsburgh has next year.
(Featured photo by David Zalubowski/AP)
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