Santana, Johan (1979-…), is a former professional baseball player. A dominant left-handed pitcher, Santana starred for the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets over 12 Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons from 2000 to 2012. Santana was noted for his ability to change speeds on his pitches and for his control.
Santana began his MLB career in Minnesota, where he was used mainly as a relief pitcher until 2004, when he became a full-time starter. That year, he won 20 games, led the American League (AL) in earned run average (2.61) and strikeouts (265), and earned the AL Cy Young Award as the league’s best pitcher. Santana won the AL Cy Young Award again in 2006 after leading the AL in wins (19), earned run average (2.77), strikeouts (245), and innings pitched (233.2). After the 2007 season, Minnesota traded Santana to the Mets. In 2008, he led the National League in earned run average (2.53) and innings pitched (234.1). Santana’s 2009 season was cut short by an elbow injury, and shoulder troubles shortened his 2010 season and caused him to miss the entire 2011 season. Santana returned to the Mets in 2012, and on June 1 he pitched the first no-hitter in the team’s history. Injuries ended his season in August, however, and Santana never again pitched in the big leagues.
Johan Alexander Santana was born on March 13, 1979, in Tovar, Venezuela. He was originally signed by the Houston Astros in 1995, and he played three years in Houston’s minor league system. The Twins acquired Santana in a trade in December 1999.
