Dustin May Bio
Dustin Jake May, born September 6, 1997, is an American professional baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). A former third-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, May made his MLB debut in 2019 and quickly established himself as a power arm with one of the hardest fastballs in the league. He is a World Series champion from the Dodgers’ 2020 title run and now brings veteran experience to the Cardinals’ pitching staff.
Standing 6 feet 6 inches tall and listed at 180 pounds, May pairs imposing size with an aggressive, three-quarter delivery that produces sinker-like movement on his two-seam fastball. Beyond his on-field resume, May is known for his red hair, which earned him the long-running nickname “Gingergaard” from former teammate Noah Syndergaard, and for surviving a frightening medical emergency in 2024 that he credits to his wife’s quick actions.
Early Life and Background
Dustin Jake May was born on September 6, 1997, and grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas. He attended Northwest High School in Justin, Texas, where he developed into one of the more intriguing pitching prospects in his draft class. May’s combination of size, arm strength, and feel for pitching made him a priority target for Major League scouts during his high school years.
May was committed to play college baseball at Texas Tech University and was regarded as one of the top high school arms in his region. That commitment, however, gave way to a professional opportunity when the Los Angeles Dodgers selected him in the third round of the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft. Rather than enroll at Texas Tech, May signed with the Dodgers and received a $1 million signing bonus, launching his pro career at just 18 years old.
Path to Baseball
May’s path to the major leagues began in the rookie-level Arizona League after he signed with the Dodgers in 2016. Working his way through the organization’s development system, he moved to the Great Lakes Loons and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2017, posting a combined 9-6 record with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP across 25 games. His performance in the California League earned him a post-season All-Star selection in 2018 and a place on the Tulsa Drillers’ playoff roster, where he started the clinching game and allowed two runs over five innings.
Assigned to Tulsa to begin 2019, May was named to the mid-season Texas League All-Star Game and the All-Star Futures Game before a promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Across 23 starts in 2019, he went 9-5 with a 3.39 ERA, and his 110 strikeouts in 106 and two-thirds innings demonstrated the swing-and-miss upside that scouts had long projected. The Dodgers called him up to the majors on August 2, 2019, and he made his MLB debut as a starting pitcher against the San Diego Padres, with his first big league strikeout coming against Hunter Renfroe.
Dustin May Career
Early Career (2016-2018)
After signing with the Dodgers, May made his professional debut with the Arizona League Dodgers in 2016, going 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 30 and two-thirds innings. The performance was enough to convince the organization to push him quickly through the lower levels, and by 2017 he was pitching for both the Great Lakes Loons and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, where he developed the sinker-heavy profile that would later define him at the big league level.
In 2018, May settled in with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and was selected to the California League All-Star team after a strong first half. He ended the year by starting the Tulsa Drillers’ title-clinching playoff game on September 14, allowing two runs in five innings. Between the two clubs, he finished 2018 with 9-5 record and a 3.39 ERA in 23 total starts, locking in his status as one of the top arms in the Dodgers’ farm system.
Los Angeles Dodgers Breakthrough (2019-2020)
May spent the early part of 2019 back at Tulsa before earning a mid-season promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City. He finished the year appearing in 14 games for the Dodgers, including four starts, with a 2-3 record, a 3.63 ERA, and 32 strikeouts against only five walks. He also contributed three and one-third innings across two appearances in the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals, gaining valuable postseason experience in his first major league season.
When the 2020 pandemic-shortened season opened, May drew the surprise start on Opening Day after Clayton Kershaw was scratched with a back injury. At 22, he became the youngest Dodgers Opening Day starter since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. He went on to appear in 12 games with 10 starts, finishing 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA in 56 innings, and his average four-seam fastball of 99.1 mph led all major league pitchers that season. May contributed three scoreless innings over two appearances in the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres, two and two-thirds innings against the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series, and two relief appearances in the 2020 World Series as the Dodgers captured the championship.
Injury Battles and Returns (2021-2024)
May’s breakout was interrupted on May 1, 2021, when he tore his ulnar collateral ligament while throwing a pitch, requiring Tommy John surgery on May 12. He returned to a major league mound on August 20, 2022, striking out nine while allowing only one hit in five scoreless innings against the Miami Marlins, but appeared in only six games that year before landing on the injured list with lower back tightness.
After agreeing to a $1.675 million contract in his first year of salary arbitration, May exited a start against the Minnesota Twins on May 17, 2023, with right elbow pain. He was diagnosed with a right flexor pronator strain and later underwent surgery on July 4, 2023, for both the flexor tendon and a Grade 2 UCL sprain, ending his season. He began 2024 on the 60-day injured list, and in July he underwent surgery for an esophageal tear after a choking incident in which he credited his wife with saving his life. He signed with the Dodgers for $2.135 million in both 2024 and 2025, avoiding arbitration each time.
Los Angeles Dodgers Return and Trade (2025)
May returned to a major league mound on April 1, 2025, starting against the Atlanta Braves and pitching five innings with six strikeouts while allowing only one unearned run. He went on to make 18 starts for the Dodgers in 2025, with one relief appearance, going 6-7 with a 4.85 ERA and 97 strikeouts. On July 30, 2025, the Dodgers announced that he had lost his spot in the rotation and would be shifted to a bulk relief role going forward, and he was traded to the Boston Red Sox on July 31, 2025, in exchange for James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard.
Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals (2025-2026)
May’s time in Boston was brief, as he finished the 2025 campaign with the Red Sox before reaching free agency. On December 17, 2025, he signed a one-year, $12.5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals that includes a mutual option for the 2027 season. The deal represented a significant raise over his previous arbitration salaries and reflected the Cardinals’ belief that his power arm could anchor a starting role or serve as a high-leverage reliever.
Driving Style and Strengths
May works from a three-quarter arm slot with a high leg lift both before release and at follow-through when the bases are empty. His primary weapon is a two-seam fastball with sinker-like movement that averages over 98 mph, supported by a cutter, a curveball, and a four-seam fastball. In 2020, he ranked fourth among starting pitchers in lateral movement, an unusual combination for a pitcher who averages more than 93 mph on his two-seam fastball, and his four-seam fastball that season led all major league pitchers in average velocity.
Notable Events and Milestones
May’s career milestones include his 2019 major league debut against the San Diego Padres, his first big league win against the Miami Marlins on August 13, 2019, his selection as the Dodgers’ youngest Opening Day starter since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981, and a 2020 World Series championship. Off the field, his survival of an esophageal tear in July 2024, an emergency he attributes to his wife’s decision to rush him to the hospital, stands as one of the most dramatic personal stories of his career.
Dustin May Career Wins
Across his MLB tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, May has accumulated regular-season victories as a starter and bulk reliever, highlighted by his first big league win against the Miami Marlins in 2019 and a strong 3-1 record across 10 starts during the 2020 championship season.
Major League Highlights
May’s most memorable victories include a dominant August 4, 2020, performance against the San Diego Padres, when he struck out eight in six innings, and a triumphant return start against the Atlanta Braves on April 1, 2025, after a long injury absence. He has also earned postseason wins in high-leverage relief roles during the Dodgers’ 2020 run to the World Series title.
Other Wins & Performances
Before reaching the majors, May collected wins at every level of the Dodgers’ system, including a California League All-Star selection with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2018 and a Texas League All-Star nod with the Tulsa Drillers in 2019. He also earned a selection to the All-Star Futures Game in 2019, a traditional showcase for the game’s top prospects.
Dustin May Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public details about May’s immediate family remain limited, with no widely reported information on his parents or siblings. He grew up in the Justin, Texas, area and graduated from Northwest High School before pursuing professional baseball.
Personal Life
May married his long-time girlfriend, Amelia “Millie” Trautner, on December 27, 2022. On July 10, 2024, May credited his wife with saving his life after he began choking during dinner; she rushed him to the emergency room, where he underwent emergency surgery to repair a tear in his esophagus. May has publicly called the episode “life and death” and has spoken about how the experience reshaped his perspective on health and family.
2025 Season Performance
May’s 2025 season was a study in resilience and reinvention. He returned from his 2024 esophageal surgery to start against the Atlanta Braves on April 1, 2025, fanning six while allowing only one unearned run across five innings, and went on to make 18 starts for the Dodgers with one relief appearance, finishing 6-7 with a 4.85 ERA and 97 strikeouts. After the Dodgers shifted him to a bulk relief role on July 30, 2025, he was traded the next day to the Boston Red Sox for prospects James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard.
Following the trade, May provided veteran depth for the Red Sox down the stretch of the 2025 season before reaching free agency in the winter. His combination of high velocity, postseason experience, and improved health positioned him as one of the more intriguing mid-tier free-agent arms on the market.
May closed the year by signing a one-year, $12.5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals on December 17, 2025, with a mutual option for 2027. The deal gave the Cardinals a power arm capable of working as a starter or in long relief, and the contract represented a substantial raise over his previous arbitration salaries of $2.135 million. With health on his side and a clear role ahead, May enters the Cardinals era looking to recede the velocity and movement that made him one of the most talked-about young arms in baseball just a few years earlier.