Tony Santillan

Tony Santillan

27-Year-Old PitcherRP
Cincinnati Reds
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Santillan was limited to just three appearances in 2023 due to injuries, but re-signed with the Reds last offseason on a minor-league contract. Despite an outstanding spring, he failed to make Cincinnati's Opening Day roster and was re-assigned to the minors. The 27-year-old was recalled in July and spent the remainder of the 2024 campaign with the Reds, pitching to a 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 46:9 K:BB across 30 frames. Santillan's 37.7 percent strikeout rate and 30.3 K-BB percentage were top-5 marks among relievers who pitched a minimum of 30 innings, putting him back on the deep-league radar for 2025. He's pitched in a versatile role in the past, capable of working as an opener, closer or multiple innings at a time. Santillan certainly has the talent to overtake Alexis Diaz as the Reds' closer, and the opportunity may be there with Terry Francona now managing the team, but health is likely to be his biggest obstacle in doing so. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Rest of Season
From Preseason
#403
ADP
$Signed a one-year contract with the Reds in November of 2023.
Mentioned as possible closer option
PCincinnati Reds
March 26, 2025
Reds manager Terry Francona said Wednesday that while Santillan is an "easy choice" to be the closer, "he might be too valuable getting to the ninth," Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.
ANALYSIS
While Francona admitted he's not sure who his closer will be while Alexis Diaz (hamstring) is sidelined, it's notable that he mentioned Santillan in the fashion that he did, suggesting the right-hander might be the favorite to see the first opportunity. Santillan began last season in the minors after re-signing with the Reds last offseason on a minor-league deal, but he was excellent with the big club after being called up, posting a 3.00 ERA and 46:9 K:BB over 30 innings. Taylor Rogers, Scott Barlow, Graham Ashcraft and Emilio Pagan are other candidates to see save chances with the Reds.
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Pitching Stats
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2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
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2024 MLB Game Log
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2023 MLB Game Log
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2022 MLB Game Log
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Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
15
Last 10 Games
15
Last 5 Games
15
How many pitches does Tony Santillan generally throw?
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
What part of the game does Tony Santillan generally pitch?
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2023
 
 
-22%
BAA vs LHP
2025
No Stats
2024
 
 
-10%
BAA vs LHP
2023
 
 
-61%
BAA vs LHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2023vs Left .167 59 18 5 9 2 0 0
Since 2023vs Right .213 84 31 9 16 3 0 4
2025vs Left .000 2 1 0 0 0 0 0
2025vs Right .000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
2024vs Left .174 48 16 2 8 1 0 0
2024vs Right .194 74 30 7 13 2 0 4
2023vs Left .167 9 1 3 1 1 0 0
2023vs Right .429 9 0 2 3 1 0 0
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2023
 
 
-67%
ERA on Road
2025
No Stats
2024
 
 
-64%
ERA on Road
2023
 
 
-100%
ERA on Road
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2023Home 4.50 1.44 16.0 1 2 0 14.1 4.5 1.7
Since 2023Away 1.47 0.87 18.1 3 1 0 11.8 2.9 0.5
2025Home 0.00 0.00 1.0 0 0 0 18.0 0.0 0.0
2025Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2024Home 4.61 1.32 13.2 1 2 0 14.5 3.3 2.0
2024Away 1.65 0.73 16.1 2 1 0 13.2 2.2 0.6
2023Home 6.75 3.75 1.1 0 0 0 6.8 20.3 0.0
2023Away 0.00 2.00 2.0 1 0 0 0.0 9.0 0.0
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Tony Santillan compare to other relievers?
This section compares his stats with all relief pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 30 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 30 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • K/BB
    Strikeout to walk ratio.
  • K/9
    Average strikeouts per nine innings.
  • BB/9
    Average walks per nine innings.
  • HR/9
    Average home runs allowed per nine innings.
  • Fastball
    Average fastball velocity.
  • ERA
    Earned run average. The average earned runs allowed per nine innings.
  • WHIP
    Walks plus hits per inning pitched.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many balls in play against a pitcher go for hits.
  • GB/FB
    Groundball to flyball ratio. The higher the number, the more likely a pitcher is to induce groundballs.
  • Left On Base
    The percentage of base runners that a pitcher strands on base over the course of a season.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Barrels/BBE
    The percentage of batted ball events resulting in a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Spin Rate
    Spin Rate is the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).
  • Balls Hit 95+ MPH
    The percentage of batted balls hit that met or exceeded the 95 MPH threshold.
  • Swinging Strike
    The percentage of pitches that result in a swing and a miss.
K/BB
0.00
 
K/9
18.0
 
BB/9
0.0
 
HR/9
0.0
 
Fastball
96.4 mph
 
ERA
0.00
 
WHIP
0.00
 
BABIP
.000
 
GB/FB
0.00
 
Left On Base
0.0%
 
Exit Velocity
0.0 mph
 
Barrels/BBE
0.0%
 
Spin Rate
0 rpm
 
Balls Hit 95+ MPH
0.0%
 
Swinging Strike
20.0%
 
Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Tony Santillan See More
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5 days ago
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18 days ago
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Mound Musings: A Look at Pitching in the NL Central
30 days ago
Brad Johnson covers pitching in the National League Central, and in Cincinnati, Nick Lodolo is a starting pitcher to keep an eye on.
Closer Encounters: 2025 Closer Rankings
60 days ago
Josh Hader's heavier usage since joining the Astros could make him the best closer to target this season.
Mound Musings: A Look at Pitching in the NL Central
March 7, 2024
Brad Johnson has moved to the NL Central, and in Cincinnati, Hunter Greene, with one of the biggest arms in baseball, clearly has considerable potential.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
Santillan surprisingly earned the first save of the 2022 MLB season. The Reds didn't deploy him as a traditional closer, but was one of their highest leverage relievers early in the season. He finished with four saves and six holds across 21 appearances before a lower back strain ended his campaign in mid-June. Santillan threw both his slider and 96.2 mph fastball equally, but the latter was hammered to a .350 BA and .475 SLG despite adding 1.2 mph on the pitch, on average. The right-hander previously threw a changeup to left-handed hitters in 2021, but didn't have success with it and removed it from his arsenal last year. Despite a fairly secure high leverage role when healthy, Santillan is too risky of a spec for 2023 drafts. He's a WHIP liability with a career 4.7 BB/9 and is coming off a lengthy injury.
Santillan had been developed as a starter throughout his minor league career before getting the call to the majors in 2021, and first was deployed as a starter before shifting to the bullpen over the last two months of the season. He found more success as a reliever, posting a 2.36 ERA over 26.2 innings in that role, striking out 36 batters in that span. After getting stretched out at the beginning of camp in order to compete for a starter's job, Santillan was moved to the bullpen again late in spring training and manager David Bell announced that he would be used in high-leverage situations. With Lucas Sims on the IL to begin the season, those high-leverage situations include possible save chances, as was the case on Opening Day, though Santillan won't be used as a traditional closer.
It looked like Santillan had an outside chance to debut in 2019 after he reached Double-A in 2018 at age 21, totaling 62.1 innings at that level and pitching to a 3.61 ERA. We're still waiting. His second go-around at Double-A did not go as well, and while he was in the Reds' 60-player pool throughout the shortened 2020 season, he was never summoned from the alternate site. The Reds may be looking to trade a starter or two and most teams need at least eight starters to get through a normal season. This year will be anything but normal, and Santillan will almost certainly make his debut since he's on the 40-man roster. It will be sink-or-swim for the right-hander.
While Santillan appeared to have a chance to debut last season, pitching ended up being the Reds' strength at the big-league level and Santillan didn't do his part in forcing the issue. In fact, he didn't even pitch well enough to reach Triple-A. The big problem was the free passes, as Santillan's walk rate nearly doubled to 11.6% in his repeat of the Double-A level. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound righty spent time on the injured list with a shoulder injury and went on to make two additional trips to the IL over the final couple months. Santillan was a second-round pick (49th overall) in 2015 and some sites have slapped a 50 on his future value. However, the swing and miss has been lacking despite a good fastball/slider combo -- Santillan hasn't even cracked a 23 K% since Low-A ball -- and at this point it's fair to wonder whether his future lies in the bullpen. Santillan is fringe even in deep dynasty leagues.
With a highly-successful season split between High-A and Double-A, Santillan solidified his standing as one of the top pitching prospects in the Reds' organization. At age 21, Santillan cruised to a 2.70 ERA in 86.2 innings with High-A Daytona to earn a promotion to Pensacola in early July. His home-run rate more than doubled after the move up, but his walk rate held firm (6.0%) and he added to his strikeout rate, bumping it from 20.2% to 22.8% with the jump in levels. Santillan's blistering fastball is his best weapon -- he throws it in the upper-90s with movement. His slider and changeup both flash plus as well, and at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, he looks capable of handling a significant workload. The Reds are starved for quality starting pitching, but they won't rush Santillan's development. Look for him to start this season at Triple-A Louisville before perhaps advancing to the big-league rotation at some point during the summer months.
Santillan's high-90s fastball is a monster pitch, and even when his control was well below-average (in 2016), that heater pointed to a big-league future in relief, where he would likely sit around 98-100 mph. His slider and changeup can each flash plus, which is another big mark in his favor, although he needs to gain more consistency with each of his secondaries. For evaluators who saw Santillan on the right day (when he was locating), he looked like a future frontline arm. He had two 10-strikeout games, needing 6.1 innings for one and six innings for the other. However, he also had six four-walk games and one five-walk game, taking the loss in five of those seven outings. His command needs to get to at least fringe-average and preferably average for him to profile as a No. 3 starter who strikes out over a batter per inning. If the command comes, he could be a fantasy force. If it doesn't, he would still have a chance to be a high-leverage reliever. He will head to High-A this season.
The narrative entering the season with Santillan was that he would need to make huge improvements with his control and changeup to realize his potential as a mid-rotation starter who strikes out a batter per inning. The 9.8 percent walk rate he posted in the Pioneer League was a big step in the right direction, but he then proceeded to walk 17.4 percent of the batters he faced after a promotion to the Midwest League. The changeup is a feel pitch, and he was not going to develop an average one overnight, so the most immediate concern is whether he can throw significantly more strikes in a return to Low-A Dayton. Santillan's double-plus fastball and hammer curveball are not going anywhere, so a high-leverage relief role remains his realistic floor. He turns 20 on April 15, affording him plenty of time to make the necessary improvements, but the most likely outcome is that yet another high-upside Reds pitching prospect winds up in the bullpen.
More Fantasy News
Serving as opener Tuesday
PCincinnati Reds
July 30, 2024
Santillan will serve as the Reds' opening pitcher in Tuesday's game versus the Cubs, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Called up from minors
PCincinnati Reds
July 13, 2024
Cincinnati selected Santillan's contract from Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
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Reassigned to minor-league camp
PCincinnati Reds
March 22, 2024
The Reds reassigned Santillan to minor-league camp Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
ANALYSIS
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Re-signs on minors contract
PCincinnati Reds
November 2, 2023
Cincinnati re-signed Santillan on Thursday to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training.
ANALYSIS
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Outrighted to Louisville
PCincinnati Reds
September 1, 2023
Santillan cleared waivers Friday and was sent outright to Triple-A Louisville, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Unlikely to return
PCincinnati Reds
August 20, 2022
Santillan, out with a back injury, is a "long shot" to return this season, reports Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer.
ANALYSIS
After an excellent rookie campaign in 2021, hopes were high for Santillan this season but poor play and a back injury put a damper on his sophomore season. The 25-year-old was the Opening Day closer for the Reds, pitching a perfect ninth inning to save the game against the defending champs from Atlanta. There weren't many more save chances in the early going and when there were, he blew three opportunities. All in all, he posted a 5.49 ERA, 1.78 WHIP and 21:12 K:BB in 19.2 innings for Cincinnati. He's quite likely to be a part of the Reds' plans moving forward but may have to serve as a setup man to the new closer, Alexis Diaz, heading into 2023.
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