Dustin May

Dustin Jake May
(Code Red)

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 6", Weight 180 lb.
High School Northwest High School (Justin)
Debut August 2, 2019

Born September 6, 1997 in Justin, TX USA

Biographical Information[edit]

On July 23, 2020, Dustin May became the first rookie to start on opening day for the Los Angeles Dodgers since Fernando Valenzuela had done so in 1981. He was a late replacement for ace Clayton Kershaw, who had to be scratched from the game against the San Francisco Giants due to back pain. He allowed one run in 4 1/3 innings as the Dodgers went on to win the game, 8-1. May had made his debut in 2019, and made 4 starts among his 14 appearances, going 2-3, 3.63, so he was ahead of Valenzuela, also a last-minute injury replacement, who had been making his first career start. Dustin was considered the Dodgers' top pitching prospect when he was tabbed to make the start. He went 3-1, 2.57 in 12 games including 10 starts in what was his rookie season, pitching 56 innings and striking out 44 batters with 16 walks. In the postseason, he made three starts, one in the Division Series against the San Diego Padres and two against the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS. In these two rounds, he was 1-0 with an ERA of 2.34 in 7 2/3 innings. In the 2020 World Series, against the Tampa Bay Rays, his only two outings were in relief and he gave up 3 runs in 3 innings. There was questioning throughout the postseason about why the Dodgers gave so little rope to their two highly talented rookie starting pitchers (Tony Gonsolin was the other), but it was all part of a complex strategy that worked out in spite of some tense moments and brought the Dodgers their first championship since 1988.

In 2021, he was counted on to take a regular turn as a starting pitcher, but after 5 starts, during which he went 1-1, 2.74, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery in early May, putting him on the shelf for a year. He made his return on August 20, 2022, and was excellent, striking out 9 in 5 scoreless innings in a 7-0 win over the Miami Marlins. He made a total of 6 starts that season, going 2-3, 4.50 and the Dodgers were counting on him to be a mainstay in the starting rotation in 2023. That is exactly what happened in the first six weeks of the season, as he was 4-1, 2.68 after 8 excellent starts. However, on May 17th, he had to leave a start against the Minnesota Twins after just one inning, and he was immediately placed on the injured list. He had to undergo flexor tendon surgery and did not make it back that season, but while undergoing rehab at the Dodgers' training facility in Arizona the following summer, he suffered a freak accident, when a piece of food got caught in his throat and his esophagus was torn, a potentially life-threatening condition. He had to undergo emergency surgery, spending 11 days in the hospital. That put an end to any hope of coming back in 2024, and as a result he was on the sidelines as the team won its second championship in five years.

The only good side of his 2024 injury was that it gave his elbow more time to rest, and by the time he arrived for spring training in 2025, he was back at full strength and feeling pain-free for the first time in years. He made his first start of the season on April 1st against the Atlanta Braves and promptly struck out the side in the 1st inning. He lasted 5 innings, giving up just one hit and one unearned run while striking out 6. He ended up with a no-decision but the Dodgers were 3-1 winners, extending their season-opening winning streak to seven games. He ended up making 18 starts in 19 games for the Dodgers, but with mixed results as he was just 6-7, 4.85, which was not good enough for a team looking to win another division title. On July 31st, the Dodgers decided to cut ties with him by trading him to the Boston Red Sox in return for two middling prospects, Zach Ehrhard and James Tibbs, as they needed to use his roster spot for a more productive pitcher. Ironically, the Red Sox were also in the postseason chase, and ended up making it as a wild card team. His contribution was minimal, however, as he made just 5 starts for them and was 1-4, 5.40, allowing 35 hits in 28 1/3 innings. That was not going to cut it in the postseason, and he was left off the roster as the Sox lost to the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series.

On December 13, 2025, he signed a one-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. He made the team's starting rotation out of spring training in 2026, and while his pitching was not outstanding at first, he manager to keep his regular turn. After 11 starts, he was 3-6, 4.59, before he managed to pull back-to-back outstanding efforts. On June 9th, he pitched 6 scoreless innings in a 7-0 win over the New York Mets, then on June 15th he pitched the first complete game of his career, and it was also a one-hitter and a shutout as he defeated the San Diego Padres, 3-0. It was the first complete game shutout by a Cardinals pitcher in almost a year and the first at Busch Stadium since Miles Mikolas had pulled off the feat in 2019. He carried a perfect game into the 7th inning before issuing a walk and giving up a single to Manny Machado, but a double play grounder got him out of trouble and he managed to complete the game, needing 101 pitches to do so. These two baserunners were the only ones in the entire game, and he ended up with 9 strikeouts.

Notable Achievements[edit]

Won one World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020

Related Sites[edit]

Dustin May on mlb.com

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Dustin May

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