GOODYEAR, Ariz. — If the Cincinnati Reds need it, Tony Santillan is ready to pitch in 81 games again this season. He ranked second in MLB in appearances last year.
“Ninety-five percent of the times, I felt really good,” Santillan said. “When I said I was good to get the ball, I genuinely meant that.”
The good news for Santillan’s right arm is that after the Reds prioritized building up more middle relief depth, he might not need to pitch as much in 2026.
“Hopefully if things all go well, everyone gets to share the love,” Santillan said. “Everyone is around the same workload and we’re all feeling fresh come October baseball. Then, we go on a run and win the whole thing. Regardless, I had a good offseason. I’ll be ready.”
Last year, roles at the back of the Reds’ bullpen were about as set as they were for any team in baseball. Graham Ashcraft typically pitched the seventh inning when the Reds had the lead, Santillan got the eighth and Emilio Pagán was the closer. Do the Reds plan to go with the 7-8-9 approach again this season?
“The idea is that on certain days, that might be really good,” Terry Francona said. “You can’t do it every day. The more reliable guys you have, the better. That way you don’t overwork guys or underwork guys. You give yourself a chance to win when you’re down one or two. When you have a select group of guys, you pay the price when you chase and don’t win.”
Lefties Caleb Ferguson and Brock Burke have high-leverage experience and the ability to match up in specific situations. Pierce Johnson was the Reds’ second-biggest relief pitcher addition in free agency over the last decade, and he’s a candidate for some bigger innings. Connor Phillips, Luis Mey, Zach Maxwell and Lyon Richardson all have the talent to grow into a high-leverage role, and they each did get that opportunity and had flashes of success in 2025.
“You look at what we have and you have some guys who have pitched at the back end of games and can go multiple innings,” Derek Johnson said. “There’s some versatility. We have left-handers who can help us out and actually a couple of them are pretty good against right-handed hitters as well. There are a lot of moving parts, but there are a lot of possibilities.”
With everything going on during a hectic final week of the regular season last year, there was a story that flew under the radar: Santillan’s redemption against Cubs All-Star Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Santillan was in for the save with the Reds leading 1-0 in the ninth inning over the Cubs. Santillan walked two batters. With two outs, PCA stepped up to the plate.
“I’ve been waiting for that at-bat for a while,” Santillan said. “I got to face PCA. I’ve been waiting for a while for that at-bat. Since May. I waited a long time for that at-bat. I was kind of upset that I walked (Michael) Busch. But at the same time, once I saw Pete step in there, I was happy, I guess. It’s weird. I was happy to get my chance.”
Back in May, Santillan allowed a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning to Crow-Armstrong, who showed some astonishing power as he pulled a towering high fly ball over the foul pole. It was a viral highlight that accelerated Crow-Armstrong’s star-turn. He celebrated the homer by flipping his bat high in the air, turning to the dugout, yelling out, pounding his chest and then flexing as he rounded the bases. You won’t see a much bigger celebration on a baseball field all year.
“I was tipping my pitches,” Santillan said. “That’s all on me.”
They met again in late September. Santillan struck him out to end the game.
“I had been waiting for that at-bat for a while now,” Santillan said. “I finally got it, and I did what I knew I could do.”
Santillan wants the smoke, embraces the moment and has the stuff to overpower any hitter in the game.
Every time I spoke with Santillan last season — a year where he was tied for third in MLB in relief pitcher WAR — he spoke about how he wasn’t yet where he wanted to be. Privately, coaches would tell him, “You know you’re really good right?” Santillan would keep tinkering, and keep improving.
“I’ve always been that way,” Santillan said. “I’m very picky. I wouldn’t say I like to be perfect because that’s what gets me in trouble. I’m very hard to satisfy. There’s always something I’m trying to reach. For me, it’s a never ending cycle. I do something good, but then I find something to pick at.”
The mindset was the key to his journey from a pitcher who got DFAd at the end of the 2023 season and went unclaimed on waivers to one of the best relievers in MLB in 2025.
“It meant a lot to me to prove that — I’ve said it several times — when I’m healthy I believe I’m one of the best relievers out there,” Santillan said. “It was nice to show that durability and put some numbers and performances behind that statement. I’m always trying to be better. That’s my way of always staying in that mindset and competing against everyone else and with myself. That’s what separates me. That mental fight.”
On Thursday, Santillan threw his first live bullpen of the spring.
“I feel fresh,” Santillan said. “I’m in a good spot right now, where I want to be.”
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