Kansas City Royals pitcher Ervin Santana has enjoyed a long career in professional baseball. He has thrown more than 2,000 innings. He has pitched in both the American League and National League. He has pitched in the postseason.
Santana, 38, signed his first professional contract as an international free agent with Los Angeles Angels less than six months after Royals prospect Bobby Witt Jr. was born.
Yet this season has been an entirely new experience for the right-hander. He made the transition to the bullpen at a point where some pitchers are making the transition to rocking chairs or their next careers.
He has made twice as many relief appearances this season (six) than in the 15 previous MLB seasons (three).
“Never give up,” Santana said. “Keep working. It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you think you still have it, you can keep working and just show it when you’ve got opportunities to play. That’s what I’ve been doing when I’ve got my chances to play.”
Monday marked the 16-year anniversary of the energetic native of the Dominican Republic’s MLB debut in a start for the Angels against the Cleveland Indians (May 17, 2005).
Santana recorded his first major-league win more than 15 years ago on May 23, 2005, against the Chicago White Sox.
His career in the majors has included two American League All-Star selections nine years apart in 2008 with the Angels and 2017 with the Minnesota Twins.
What keeps him motivated to come back at this stage of his career?
“The goal that everybody has in mind, to win the World Series,” Santana said with an infectious smile. “That’s my goal. I want to win a World Series. If I have the opportunity to do it with the Royals, why not?”
But even after all his experience pitching against big-league hitters, Santana admitted the move to the bullpen has been foreign territory.
After all, he’s used to knowing he’ll have to turn a lineup over two or three times as a starting pitcher. As a reliever he has “one chance” to get outs.
“It’s still difficult because I’ve spent my whole career as a starter,” Santana said. “I had to make an adjustment. I’ve been asking Wade Davis and (Greg) Holland in the bullpen how they perform, how they go about their business. I’m just trying to learn from them because they’re veterans down there and they have been doing it for a long time.”
So far this season, Santana has posted a 2.35 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, and opponent’s batting average of .211 in seven appearances, including one abbreviated start in the second game of a doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium.
Two of Santana’s outings have been one inning or fewer. The others have been multiple-inning outings, typically coming in to douse the flames of an opposing offense.
