Johan Santana

Johan Santana
Santana with the Mets in 2012
Free agent
Starting pitcher
Born: (1979-03-13) March 13, 1979 (age 37) Tovar, Mérida, Venezuela
Bats: Left Throws: Left
MLB debut
April 3, 2000, for the Minnesota Twins
MLB statistics (through 2012 season)
Win–loss record	139–78
Earned run average	3.20
Strikeouts	1,988
WHIP	1.13
Teams
Minnesota Twins (2000–2007) New York Mets (2008–2010, 2012)
Career highlights and awards
2× AL Cy Young Award (2004, 2006) MLB Triple Crown (2006) MLB wins leader (2006) 3× ERA leader (2004, 2006, 2008) 3× AL strikeout leader (2004–2006) Gold Glove Award (2007) 4× All-Star (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) Pitched a no-hitter (June 1, 2012)

Johan Alexander Santana Araque (/ˈjoʊhɑːn sænˈtænə/; born March 13, 1979) is a Venezuelan professional baseball starting pitcher who is a free agent. Santana pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins from 2000 to 2007 and for the New York Mets from 2008 to 2012, sidelined by injury challenges since the 2012 season. A two-time Cy Young Award winner with the Twins, Santana is a four-time All-Star and earned a pitching triple crown in 2006. On June 1, 2012, Santana threw a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals, the first no-hitter in New York Mets then 51-year franchise history.

Santana was discovered in 1994 by Andres Reiner, who was a scout working for the Houston Astros at the time. Santana's parents agreed to let him attend Houston's academy in Valencia. When O’Brien called Reiner and asked if he had signed Santana to a contract, Reiner reported that he was still deciding if Santana was a better prospect as an outfielder or a pitcher. After six weeks of training, Santana was told he was going to pitch. Santana did not like it and almost left, but Reiner convinced him to stay. While originally a center fielder, Santana was converted to a pitcher at the academy due to his arm speed. In 1999 he was named the Tovar Mérida Athlete of the Year.