Dennis Santana Fantasy Stats

The Pittsburgh Pirates designated right-handed reliever Dennis Santana for assignment on Thursday to make room for right-handed reliever Ron Marinaccio, who was acquired in a minor trade from the San Diego Padres in exchange for international signing bonus pool considerations, according to MLB.com's Alex Stumpf. Santana was an option for saves in the Pirates' bullpen earlier this season, but he has struggled mightily, going 2-5 with a 6.05 ERA (5.48 FIP), a 1.51 WHIP, two saves, 37 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 41 2/3 relief innings in 2026 in his second full season in Pittsburgh. The 30-year-old Dominican hurler has had a really rough month of July, allowing 10 earned runs on 12 hits (four homers) while walking two and striking out seven for two losses and a hold in 7 1/3 innings across eight appearances out of the bullpen. Santana will most likely clear waivers because of his $3.7 million salary, at which point he could refuse an outright assignment and become a free agent.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Dennis Santana had a rough outing in his team's 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday. With Pittsburgh leading 2-0 entering the ninth inning, Santana allowed four hits, two walks, and four earned runs while recording just two outs for his second blown save of the season. The 30-year-old's overall stat line for the season remains solid, as he's pitched to a 3.29 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 10 strikeouts and two saves across 13 2/3 innings. However, Santana has not recorded a save since April 15 and could be falling out of favor in a Pirates pen that has relied on multiple relievers in the ninth inning this season. With just a 17.2% strikeout rate and a 13.8% walk rate, Santana has not demonstrated typical closer dominance in his underlying numbers. If Pittsburgh does go in a different direction, left-hander Gregory Soto could emerge.

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana has picked up two saves over his last five innings pitched while posting a 1.80 ERA. Santana owns a (2-1) record with two saves while posting a 0.82 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 7:5 K:BB across 11 innings in 2026. The 30-year-old entered the ninth inning in Friday's win over the Tampa Bay Rays, but it ended up being a non-save situation. However, the good news is that Santana has appeared in the ninth inning or later in his last six appearances. He is coming off a career year in 2025, when he posted a 2.18 ERA and 0.87 WHIP and recorded 16 saves. Santana was the favorite to start the year as Pittsburgh's primary closer, but the Pirates opted to use Gregory Soto in save situations to start the year. With the recent trend of Santana handling ninth-inning duties and Soto being used primarily as a setup man, Santana is quickly reclaiming his role as the main Pirates closer.

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Dennis Santana picked up his second save of the season on Wednesday by pitching a scoreless ninth inning in his team's 2-0 win over the Washington Nationals. Santana has now logged saves in two out of his last three appearances and appears to be reclaiming the lead closer role in Pittsburgh. Across nine innings overall in 2026, Santana owns a 1.00 ERA and 0.67 WHIP with six strikeouts. Santana has struck out just 18.8% of the batters he's faced this season and posted a 22.2% strikeout rate in 2025, so he does not carry typical ninth-inning swing-and-miss stuff. Still, he's been highly effective since being acquired by the Pirates midway through the 2024 season, recording a 2.18 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 19 saves across 123 2/3 innings with the club. In leagues where Santana may have been dropped, he profiles as a priority waiver wire target.

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Dennis Santana was called upon to finish off Friday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Santana needed only 13 pitches to get through Friday's outing. He struck out Dansby Swanson and Michael Busch on route to his first save of the season. After this outing, Santana holds a perfect 0.00 ERA, with a 0.43 WHIP, and six strikeouts across seven innings of work. Gregory Soto worked the eighth inning of Friday's victory. The two of them figure to continue sharing the closer role for now. Soto appears to be the favorite for saves, but fantasy managers who have Santana rostered should continue to hold him.

Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports that the Pittsburgh Pirates aren't expected to have a designated closer going into the 2026 regular season. Manager Don Kelly said that right-hander Dennis Santana will get a lot of time in the ninth inning, but "he won't be the only one." "Gregory Soto has closed, we've got guys on the back end that can handle it with the stuff they have," Kelly said. Santana is still probably the best fantasy bet for saves in the Steel City, but Soto and Isaac Mattson could also see opportunities, especially if Santana hits a rough patch at any point. The 29-year-old Dominican had a strong 2.18 ERA (3.21 FIP), 0.87 WHIP, a career-high 16 saves, 60 strikeouts, and 17 walks in 70 1/3 innings in a career year with the Bucs in 2025. Santana saw 10 of the team's final 12 save chances last year after they traded away David Bednar. This news further cements the fact that Santana remains a risky fantasy closer despite the fact that he's the favorite for saves to begin the year.

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Dennis Santana posted a breakout season in 2025, collecting a 4-5 record with a 2.18 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 60 strikeouts, and 16 saves across 70 1/3 innings pitched. The 29-year-old emerged as Pittsburgh's primary ninth-inning option down the stretch of 2025 after the Pirates traded veteran closer David Bednar to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline. Heading into 2026, Santana looks set to get the first shot as Pittsburgh's primary save-earner. Santana's numbers are almost certain to regress from the outlier marks he posted in 2025, as he was buoyed by an unsustainably low .211 opponent batting average on balls in play. Santana is also not an elite strikeout pitcher, as he posted a 22.2% strikeout rate in 2025 and owns a career mark of 22.1%. However, Santana has now posted consecutive seasons with a WHIP of 1.09 or better and may have the trust of the Pirates organization. If he can do enough to maintain the closing job in Pittsburgh, Santana could be an undervalued source of saves for fantasy managers in 2026.

Relief pitcher Dennis Santana has agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates to avoid arbitration. Santana made his debut with the Pirates in 2024 after stints with the Yankees, Mets, Rangers, and Dodgers. During his first stint in Pittsburgh, the right-hander looked quite comfortable, posting a 2.44 ERA with 0.92 WHIP across 44 1/3 innings of work. In 2025, Santana continued to pitch at a high level, turning in his best season as a major-league pitcher, logging 70 1/3 innings with a 2.18 ERA and a stellar 0.70 WHIP. He struck out just 60 hitters but showed above-average command, allowing walks at a 6.3% rate. He tallied 16 saves and appears to remain the primary ninth-inning option in 2026. While his strikeout numbers may remain low, Santana is a safe bet for double-digit saves and high-end ratios in the upcoming season.

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana slammed the door on the Toronto Blue Jays in a 2-1 win on Wednesday to record his ninth save of the year. Santana threw a 1-2-3 ninth inning on eight pitches, all strikes, and fanned one hitter. The right-hander has gone 3-for-4 on save chances since the Pirates dealt closer David Bednar to the New York Yankees at the July 31 trade deadline. While Santana yielded seven earned runs in 1 2/3 innings over his first three August appearances, he has now tossed 5 1/3 scoreless frames in a row. The 29-year-old's ERA is down to 2.36 with a .88 WHIP and 43:11 K:BB in 54 1/3 innings.

Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana closed out the Cincinnati Reds on Friday for a 3-2 win and his seventh save of the year. Santana went 1-2-3 with a strikeout on a mere eight pitches to finish off the Reds in the top of the ninth inning. It was a much-needed clean inning for Santana, who's off to a terrible start in August. In four appearances this month, Santana has yielded seven earned runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings, tallied two losses, and blown a save. The Pirates traded closer David Bednar to the New York Yankees at the July 31 trade deadline, leaving the role open for Santana. Despite his recent issues, the 29-year-old has recorded quality numbers this season. Across 50 frames, Santana has logged a 2.52 ERA with a .92 WHIP, 40 strikeouts, and 11 walks.