The Cincinnati Reds Suddenly Have a Tony Santillan Problem

Once a Major Contributor to the Reds Bullpen, Tony Santillan Cannot Find a Groove

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tony Santillan (64) circles the mound after picking off Tyler Freeman at first base in the eighth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, April 30, 2026. The Reds won 6-4. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Relief pitching is a fickle thing, especially for a Cincinnati Reds team that can't protect a lead. But Tony Santillan was supposed to be a strength for the Reds, and he has been anything but.

In 17 innings this season, Tony Santillan has a 5.82 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Simply put, that is unacceptable. What makes this worse is that Santillan got out of April with a 1.82 ERA; in May, Santillan is sporting an ERA of 21.60 in five appearances. Obviously, this isn't just a Santillan problem; May has been a nightmare for the entire team. But as the Reds look for players they can rely on, Santillan has not provided answers.

"You go through periods where you make mistakes, and you pay." Reds Manager Terry Francona said to the media on Wednesday night when asked about Santillan. "We gotta get him going because he's so important to what we do, can't run from it, we need to get him going."

When you dive deeper into the numbers for Santillan, they get worse. His xERA is in the 4th percentile, barrel% is in the 2nd percentile, Hard hit rate is in the 5th percentile, and his average exit velocity is in the 15th percentile.

One of the issues we are seeing with him is that his arm angle is down 5 degrees from 2025; other issues include the inability to avoid throwing pitches right over the plate. While Francona mentions the Reds have to get him going, and the Reds skipper is correct, it's hard to see how they can get their reliever to find his groove.

With Emilio Pagan joining Caleb Ferguson on the IL, the Reds' bullpen is becoming a glaring weakness for this team. Adding on top of the bullpen issues, the team isn't getting any help from the rotation. The Reds' pitching staff is supposed to be a strength for this team, and it simply has not. While it's disappointing, it's also discouraging.

How the Reds get Santillan going is the big question. They need multiple pitchers to step up and right the ship in a disastrous May, coming off a historic April for the franchise. Can they do it? Only time will tell, but as the Reds approach .500 and cannot seem to get it going, their season is dwindling fast. It's go time, and the Reds simply need to get going.

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