Yerry De Los Santos signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for $100,000 as a 16-year-old out of Samana, Dominican Republic. A decade later, he's pitching for the New York Yankees -- throwing 96-98 mph and keeping runners off the basepaths like it's his job. Because it is.
Path to the Bronx
De Los Santos came up through the Pirates' system the slow way -- Dominican Summer League, low minors, the whole grind. He debuted with Pittsburgh on May 25, 2022, against the Rockies, throwing a scoreless ninth inning in his first big league appearance. Over parts of two seasons with the Pirates, he appeared in 48 games and posted a 4.14 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 50 innings. The stuff was always there -- a heavy fastball that sat 96-98 and a slider with bite -- but the walks and consistency weren't.
After the 2023 season, Pittsburgh let him go. He went unclaimed on waivers, signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in November 2023, and spent 2024 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees added him to the 40-man roster on November 3, 2024, and he made the Opening Day bullpen in 2025.
Yankees Career
De Los Santos appeared in 25 games for the 2025 Yankees, posting a 3.28 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 35.2 innings. The counting stats don't scream dominance, but the details do -- he didn't allow an earned run in 18 of his 25 appearances, let only one of his nine inherited runners score (11.1 percent), and allowed just one home run all season. His 0.25 HR/9 rate was the fifth-best among all major league relievers.
| Position | Relief Pitcher |
| Throws | Right |
| 2025 ERA | 3.28 |
| 2025 IP | 35.2 |
| 2025 K | 28 |
| 2025 HR Allowed | 1 |
| Inherited Runners Scored | 11.1% |
| Fastball Velo | 96-98 mph |
That inherited runners number is the one that matters most for a middle reliever. When the manager brings you in with guys on base, you'd better strand them. De Los Santos did exactly that.
Key Moments
Signed by the Pirates
De Los Santos signs with Pittsburgh as a 16-year-old international free agent out of Samana, Dominican Republic, for $100,000.
MLB Debut
Makes his big league debut against the Colorado Rockies, throwing a scoreless ninth inning for the Pirates at age 24.
Signs with the Yankees
After going unclaimed on waivers from Pittsburgh, De Los Santos signs a minor league deal with New York and begins working his way back to the majors.
Reliable Yankee Reliever
Posts a 3.28 ERA in 25 appearances while allowing just one home run all season and stranding 88.9 percent of inherited runners.
The Role
De Los Santos is the guy who comes in when there are runners on base and the game is tight. He doesn't need to strike out the side -- he just needs to keep the ball in the yard and get ground balls. The one-homer, one-inherited-runner-scored line from 2025 says he can do that. At 27, he's got years of team control left, and if the command tightens up, there's setup man upside in that arm.
The journey from Pittsburgh to New York tells you something about how the game evaluates relievers. The Pirates had De Los Santos for parts of two seasons -- 48 appearances, a heavy fastball, a slider that could buckle knees -- and still let him walk. The walks (as in bases on balls) were the issue. When you're nibbling at 97 mph instead of attacking the zone, managers lose patience fast. What changed in the Yankees' system wasn't the stuff -- that was always electric. It was the approach. A full year at Triple-A in 2024 gave him time to simplify things, trust his sinker, and stop trying to paint corners with a pitch that doesn't need to be painted. You throw 98 with sink, you can live in the zone and dare hitters to do something with it. Most can't.
The 18 scoreless outings in 25 appearances tell the real story of his 2025. That 3.28 ERA includes a couple of rough ones that inflate the number, but the floor is high. When he's on, he's unhittable. When he's off, he's still keeping the ball in the park (one homer in 35.2 innings is borderline absurd for a guy who throws that hard). The Yankees didn't just find a useful bullpen arm on the scrap heap -- they might've found a future late-inning weapon.
He's not the name fans are chanting in the seventh inning, but he's the arm the pitching coach trusts when things get messy. Every good bullpen needs one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Yankees get Yerry De Los Santos?
De Los Santos was released by the Pirates after the 2023 season and went unclaimed on waivers. The Yankees signed him to a minor league deal in November 2023, and he spent 2024 at Triple-A before making the 2025 Opening Day roster.
How hard does Yerry De Los Santos throw?
De Los Santos features a fastball that sits 96-98 mph, paired with a slider that gives hitters a different look. His velocity puts him among the harder throwers in the Yankees' bullpen.
What was Yerry De Los Santos's best stat in 2025?
His inherited runners scored rate -- just 11.1 percent (one of nine) -- was one of the best in the league. He also allowed just one home run in 35.2 innings, giving him a 0.25 HR/9 rate that ranked fifth among all major league relievers.
Where is Yerry De Los Santos from?
De Los Santos is from Samana, Dominican Republic. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a 16-year-old international free agent in July 2014 for $100,000 and worked through their minor league system before debuting in 2022.
| Year | Team | G | GS | W | L | ERA | WHIP | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | HR | SV | HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | PIT | 22 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3.33 | 1.23 | 24.1 | 17 | 9 | 13 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2025 | NYY | 25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.28 | 1.51 | 35.2 | 37 | 13 | 17 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 2026 | NYY | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Stats via MLB Stats API.
No Statcast data available for this player.
Pitch Usage
Run Value per 100 Pitches
Negative = runs saved (good). Positive = runs allowed (bad).
| Pitch | Usage | Velo | Whiff% | K% | Put-Away% | RV/100 | xwOBA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinker | 51.9% | 95.5 mph | 10.8% | 12.0% | 16.9% | +1.7 | 0.323 |
| Changeup | 27.6% | 88.2 mph | 36.1% | 28.0% | 18.4% | -1.8 | 0.304 |
| 4-Seam Fastball | 11% | 95.2 mph | 29.6% | 30.0% | 17.6% | +1.1 | 0.244 |
| Slider | 9.5% | 85.1 mph | 37.5% | 5.9% | 4.8% | -4.9 | 0.448 |
Pitch Movement Profile
Pitch Location
All Pitches
Pitch Count · 590 pitches
Whiff Rate
Whiff Rate · 590 pitches
Sinker
Pitch Count · 306 pitches
Changeup
Pitch Count · 163 pitches
4-Seam Fastball
Pitch Count · 65 pitches