Astros To Select Alimber Santa | Anthony Franco | May 20, 2026
The Houston Astros have selected righty Alimber Santa (https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=santa-000ali&utmmedium=linker&utmsource=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utmcampaign=2026-05-20br) for the roster, marking it as their first call in the 23-year-old prospect. Santa, an amateur out of the Dominican Republic, joined the team for $75K as a minor league starter in 2020. Despite early struggles, he earned a Futures Game nomination last year, hitting a 2.31 ERA while striking out 28% of opponents across seven innings. He now ranks second in the Houston system over the winter, with scouts crediting his five-pitch arsenal.
Santa’s Triple-A season has shown mixed results. While he fanned 32% of opponents and allowed only five runs in 19 innings, his walk rate has improved slightly to 9.2%—a close league average. He’s also plunked three batters and has a career 14.3% walk percentage over six seasons. His slider remains his primary pitch, used almost two-thirds of the time, with strong results. However, his strikeout rate is still below league standards.
This selection reflects a trend where younger prospects seek relief options in the majors. The bullpen under AJ Blubaugh and Nate Pearson (https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pearsna01.shtml?utmmedium=linker&utmsource=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utmcampaign=2026-05-20br) combined for two innings, allowing the most home runs (35) and ranking lowest in strikeout rate. Santa aims to address this deficit by bolstering the bullpen, though his current performance suggests he may need more experience or adjustments.
Personally, I think Santa’s combination of speed, power, and consistency makes him a valuable asset. What makes this particularly fascinating is how he balances his skills between offense and defense, a trait many young pitchers struggle with. If you take a step back and think about it, it highlights a growing shift in the MLB landscape toward more balanced pitching roles. This raises a deeper question: will younger players be able to compete with older relievers if the majors prioritize youth talent over tradition?
