Andre Granillo Bio
Andre Anthony Granillo, born on May 12, 2000, is an American professional baseball pitcher who currently plays in Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2025 with the St. Louis Cardinals before being traded to the Washington Nationals in February 2026. A right-handed relief pitcher, Granillo has worked his way through the minor leagues after being drafted in 2021 and is now establishing himself as a member of a National League bullpen.
Early Life and Background
Andre Anthony Granillo was born on May 12, 2000, and grew up in the Hemet area of Southern California. He attended West Valley High School, where he developed into a promising pitching prospect and drew attention from college scouts. The foundation he built during his high school years helped set the stage for his transition into competitive college baseball.
After graduating from West Valley High School, Granillo continued his education and athletic career at the University of California, Riverside. There, he suited up for the UC Riverside Highlanders, the school’s NCAA Division I baseball program, refining his mechanics and gaining valuable experience against top-level collegiate competition. His performance at UC Riverside played a key role in positioning him for the 2021 MLB Draft.
During the summer of 2021, Granillo further sharpened his skills in the Cape Cod Baseball League, one of the most respected amateur summer leagues in the United States. He played for the Cotuit Kettleers, facing elite college talent from across the country. The Cape Cod League stint gave him a final test against high-level hitters before he turned professional later that same year.
Path to Baseball
Granillo’s climb through the baseball ranks began in earnest when the St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the 14th round, 421st overall, of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the organization shortly thereafter, choosing to begin his professional career rather than return to college. The Cardinals’ developmental system offered him a structured path from short-season ball to the upper minors.
His first professional assignment came with the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Low-A Southeast, where he impressed in his debut season. Pitching primarily in relief, Granillo posted a stellar 1.50 ERA over 18 innings, demonstrating the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that evaluators look for in late-inning arms. That performance earned him an invitation to return to Palm Beach to open the 2022 season.
Andre Granillo Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Andre Anthony Granillo’s professional career began in 2021 with the Palm Beach Cardinals, where he showed immediate promise by posting a 1.50 ERA over 18 innings. The short-season success was a strong indicator that the Cardinals had found a usable relief arm late in the draft. His poise on the mound at Low-A suggested he could handle advancing through multiple levels within the system.
In 2022, Granillo returned to Palm Beach to open the year before earning promotions to the Peoria Chiefs (High-A) and Springfield Cardinals (Double-A). Across all three stops, he combined to go 4–6 with a 4.13 ERA and 82 strikeouts over 52 and one-third innings. The workload and the variety of teammates he encountered helped him adjust to the demands of a full professional season.
Minor League Breakthrough (2023–2024)
Granillo opened the 2023 season back at Double-A Springfield and earned a mid-August promotion to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. Operating primarily as a reliever, he appeared in 53 games between the two levels and went 3–4 with a 4.74 ERA, 89 strikeouts, and an impressive 14 saves over 68 and one-third innings. The heavy save totals signaled that the Cardinals viewed him as a future bullpen option at the major league level. Following the season, he was selected to pitch in the prestigious Arizona Fall League with the Scottsdale Scorpions, a traditional finishing school for top prospects.
In 2024, Granillo again began the year at Springfield and was promoted to Memphis in mid-May. Across 48 relief appearances for the two clubs, he turned in his strongest statistical season to that point, going 8–2 with a 3.88 ERA and 80 strikeouts over 65 innings. The combination of a winning record and a sub-4.00 ERA at the upper levels of the minors made it clear that his major league debut was only a matter of time.
St. Louis Cardinals Era (2025)
Granillo began the 2025 season at Triple-A Memphis, where he excelled in 18 relief appearances covering 29 and two-thirds innings, posting a 1.82 ERA with 46 strikeouts. The dominant stretch convinced the Cardinals that he was ready for the major leagues, and on June 12, 2025, the club selected his contract and promoted him to St. Louis. That same night, he made his MLB debut against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field, pitching two and two-thirds scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
One week later, on June 19, 2025, Granillo had a memorable doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, picking up his first career win in the first game and his first career save in the second game of the twin bill. He shuttled between Memphis and St. Louis multiple times throughout the summer as the Cardinals managed his development and bullpen needs. In total, he appeared in 14 games for the Cardinals in 2025, going 1–0 with a 4.71 ERA and 18 strikeouts across 21 innings of work.
Washington Nationals Era (2026–Present)
On February 10, 2026, the St. Louis Cardinals traded Andre Anthony Granillo to the Washington Nationals in exchange for pitcher George Soriano, marking the start of a new chapter in his career. The move gave Washington a young reliever with a track record of high strikeout rates and minor league saves, while opening a fresh opportunity for Granillo to carve out a defined role. Through early May of the 2026 season, he had recorded a 1–0 win-loss record with a 5.40 ERA and 21 strikeouts for the Nationals.
Driving Style and Strengths
Granillo has built his professional reputation as a high-strikeout relief pitcher who has succeeded at every minor league level. The bulk of his innings have come out of the bullpen, where he has accumulated double-digit saves and maintained earned run averages that have generally trended downward as he has climbed the ladder. His minor league track record of 14 saves in 2023 and a 1.82 ERA across the early months of 2025 highlight the swing-and-miss profile that teams look for in late-inning arms.
Notable Events and Milestones
Granillo’s most memorable early major league moment came on June 19, 2025, when he recorded both his first career win and his first career save during a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox. That outing, coming just one week after his MLB debut against the Brewers, announced his arrival as a multi-role bullpen option. Being selected to the Arizona Fall League after the 2023 season stands as another important milestone in his development, signaling that he was viewed as one of the Cardinals’ top relief prospects.
Andre Granillo Career Wins
Andre Anthony Granillo’s win totals have steadily grown as he has progressed through professional baseball. After going 4–6 across three levels in 2022, he posted an 8–2 record between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024 and added his first major league win in 2025 with the Cardinals. His 1–0 mark through early May of the 2026 season with the Washington Nationals reflects his continued presence in late-inning situations at the highest level.
Minor League Highlights
In 2023, Granillo made 53 relief appearances between Springfield and Memphis, finishing with 14 saves and 89 strikeouts over 68 and one-third innings. He followed that up with his most successful minor league season in 2024, going 8–2 with a 3.88 ERA and 80 strikeouts across 48 outings for Springfield and Memphis. His early 2025 work at Memphis, where he struck out 46 batters in 29 and two-thirds innings, was the bridge to his eventual MLB debut with the Cardinals.
Other Wins and Performances
Granillo’s summer 2021 experience in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Cotuit Kettleers is one of the most recognized amateur performances of his career. Competing against the top college talent in the country helped him showcase his abilities on a national stage shortly before being drafted by the Cardinals.
Andre Granillo Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Andre Anthony Granillo’s immediate family is limited. He grew up in the Hemet area of Southern California and attended West Valley High School, where his baseball development first drew wider attention. Details about his parents and any other relatives with athletic or baseball backgrounds are not widely documented.
Personal Life
Granillo’s personal life has largely been kept out of the public eye, with no confirmed information available about a spouse, partner, or children. His public Instagram account, listed under the handle @dregranillo, offers the most direct line of communication with fans. He is known to have attended the University of California, Riverside, where he balanced his college experience with his rising baseball career.
2025 Season Performance
Andre Anthony Granillo’s 2025 season was defined by a dominant stretch at Triple-A Memphis that earned him a long-awaited promotion to the major leagues. In 18 relief appearances for the Redbirds, he posted a 1.82 ERA with 46 strikeouts over 29 and two-thirds innings, a performance that made his call-up a matter of time. The Cardinals selected his contract on June 12, 2025, sending him to the bullpen in St. Louis.
Once in the majors, Granillo appeared in 14 games and went 1–0 with a 4.71 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 21 innings, including his first career win and first career save on June 19 against the Chicago White Sox. He was optioned to Memphis and recalled to St. Louis multiple times as the club worked to manage his development and bullpen usage. The blend of minor league dominance and major league experience gave the Cardinals a clearer picture of his long-term role.
Heading into 2026, the Cardinals opted to make a change, trading Granillo to the Washington Nationals on February 10 in exchange for George Soriano. The move gave him a clearer opportunity to establish himself in a new bullpen, and his early 2026 results with Washington have included a 1–0 record, a 5.40 ERA, and 21 strikeouts through early May. As the season continues, his ability to settle into a defined late-inning role will shape the next phase of his young career.
