Johan Santana

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Santana's journey began with uncertainty; after six weeks of training, he almost quit because he disliked pitching until Reiner convinced him to stay. A pivotal moment occurred in 2002 when the Twins sent him to the minors for two months exclusively to perfect his changeup. Pitching coach Bobby Cuellar mandated that Santana throw at least one changeup to every batter, sometimes resulting in 20 consecutive throws during games. This adjustment turned a struggling starter into an elite pitcher. In 2003, he transitioned fully to the rotation, winning his last eight decisions and pitching the ALDS opener against the Yankees. His dominance peaked from 2004 to 2006, where he led the league in strikeouts all three years. The peak included a historic second half in 2004, becoming the first pitcher since 1961 to allow four or fewer hits in 10 straight starts.

In Their Own Story

On August 19, 2007, Santana delivered perhaps his best career game against the Texas Rangers. He struck out 17 batters over eight innings, walked none, and allowed only two hits, both to Sammy Sosa. This performance set a Twins club record for strikeouts in a single game, with a game score of 95, the highest in MLB history for a non-complete game. Earlier that year on June 19, he threw a four-hit shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals at Shea Stadium; following the 9-0 victory, he fulfilled a bet by shaving Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven's head. Despite leading the majors in home runs allowed (33) and suffering his most losses (13) that season, he secured his first Gold Glove Award and a Fielding Bible Award. His streak of 123 consecutive starts where he pitched at least five innings ended only due to a rain delay in September 2007.

Reader's Guide

From 2004 to 2006, Santana compiled a 55-19 record with a 2.75 ERA and 748 strikeouts. In 2006, he achieved the pitching Triple Crown, leading the majors in ERA (2.77), strikeouts (245), and tying for wins (19). He became the first pitcher to win the triple crown with fewer than 20 wins and the fifth player to win the Cy Young Award by a unanimous vote multiple times. His 2004 season featured a 13-0 record in the second half, breaking the old mark shared by Burt Hooton and Rick Sutcliffe. He finished that year leading the AL in strikeouts (265), ERA (2.61), WHIP (0.92), and batting average allowed (.192). His dominance was so complete that he walked only 54 batters in 228 innings, allowing opponents to steal just six bases in seven attempts. In 2007, he led the AL in WHIP despite his high loss total, finishing fifth in Cy Young voting before being traded to the Mets.

Did You Know?

• Santana was originally a center fielder and was converted to pitching at the Houston academy due to his arm speed.
• In 2003, a minor-league pitcher named Johan Santana in the Anaheim Angels' farm system changed his name to Ervin Santana to avoid confusion.
• During his 2004 second-half run, Santana became the first pitcher since 1961 to give up four or fewer hits in 10 straight starts.
• Santana pitched with a torn meniscus in his left knee on September 27, 2008, and underwent successful surgery on October 1, 2008.
• In 2006, Santana became the first pitcher to win the Triple Crown with fewer than 20 wins.