Alimber Santa
Alimber Daviel Santa
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 10", Weight 228 lb.
- Born May 3, 2003 in Azua, Azua D.R.
Biographical Information[edit]
Pitcher Alimber Santa was signed by the Houston Astros as an international amateur free agent on February 28, 2020. He would normally have started his professional career in the Dominican Summer League that same year, but the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down the minors leagues, upset those plans, delaying the start of his career by one year. In 2021, he started off with the DSL Astros, but he was promoted to the FCL Astros after just 6 games. Between the two teams, he went 0-2, 3.43 in 9 games and 21 innings.
In 2022, injuries limited him to just 3 games between the FCL Astros Orange and the Fayetteville Woodpeckers of the Carolina League. He finally managed to pitch a full season in 2023 with Fayetteville, when he made 14 starts in 26 outings, logged 87 1/3 innings, and finished at 3-9, 5.98. In 2024, he made 4 starts in 19 games spread out among three teams as injuries once again wreaked havoc with his season. The three stops included 2 starts in the Florida Complex League on a rehabilitation assignment, 6 games in relief for Fayetteville, and 11 games for the Corpus Christi Hooks of the AA Texas League, skipping over the High-A level. In 19 games overall, his record was 1-2, 6.47 in 40 1/3 innings.
Up to that point, except for some good strikeout rates, Alimber had not really manage to establish himself as a top prospect. That changed when he started the year on fire for the Hooks in 2025, posting an ERA of 1.26 in 31 games. That got him named to play for the American League team in the 2025 Futures Game, in which he hit top prospect Konnor Griffin on the wrist with a 97 mph pitch, forcing him out of the game, and then a promotion to the AAA Sugar Land Space Cowboys on July 29th. He did not pitch as well after the promotion, with an ERA of 6.92 in 15 games. Still, between the two stops, he went 3-2, 2.31 with 2 saves in 46 outings, with just 46 hits allowed in 70 innings. Hi stuff was overpowering, with 82 strikeouts, but he also walked 39 opponents, his walk rate shooting way up after he hit AAA. He was named a AA All-Star by Baseball America after the season.
He started 2026 in AAA with Sugar Land, going 4-2, 1.42 with 2 saves in his first 18 games, and 24 strikeouts in 19 innings. On May 22nd, he was called up to Houston to make his big league debut. That came under unprecedented circumstances on May 25th - Memorial Day - on the road against the Texas Rangers. Tatsuya Imai had started the game for Houston and pitched six scoreless innings, before turning the ball over to Steven Okert who did not give up a hit in the 7th. Alimber then entered the game in the 8th with a no-hitter on the line, but if he was nervous because of the circumstances, he did not show it as he retired all six batters he faced to complete the combined effort, the first no-hit game in the majors since September of 2024. Needless to say, he was the first pitcher to make his debut as a reliever in a combined no-hitter (Bumpus Jones had pitched a complete game no-hitter in his major league debut for the 1892 Cincinnati Reds).
Further Reading[edit]
- Brian McTaggart: "Astros' Santa is coming to town, and he throws 94!", mlb.com, May 21, 2026. [1]
- Brian McTaggart: "Imai teams up with Okert, Santa on Astros' 18th no-hitter in franchise history: Houston combines to toss 1st no-no in MLB since 2024", mlb.com, May 26, 2026. [2]
- Brian McTaggart: "A holly jolly debut! Santa helps deliver no-no in historic first foray", mlb.com, May 26, 2026. [3]
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.