Aug 17, 2019; Anaheim, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Hector Santiago (53) leaves the field during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
There once was a time where Hector Santiago was an up and coming left-handed pitcher. In 2015, Santiago made his first and only All-Star team as a member of the Los Angeles Angels. Despite allowing the most home runs in the American League, he pitched to a 3.59 ERA in 32 starts.
After pitching to a 4.80 ERA, seeing his walks increase and pitching nowhere near his All-Star form, he landed a minor league contract with the Mets. Santiago is a local pitcher who was born and raised in New Jersey. It fulfilled a dream of his to pitch in front of his family.
His Mets tenure only lasted a couple of months, which puts him in the obscure category. Santiago pitched well in Syracuse with a 3.56 ERA, which earned him a call to the majors in May. After two scoreless outings to start his season, he allowed runs in five of his next six outings.
His only win came in an extra-innings appearance against the Detroit Tigers. He went two innings, using 44 pitches to tip-toe in and out of trouble, which allowed the Mets to walk-off in the 13th inning. The Mets released him on June 18th, and he landed with the White Sox to finish out his season.
Santiago signed a minor league deal with the Tigers heading into this year’s Spring Training. At 32 years old, he still has a chance to rekindle his career after dominating the winter leagues.
This post was published on 2020-05-06 09:00
