Anthony Veneziano Bio
Anthony James Veneziano (born September 1, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently playing in the KBO League for the SSG Landers. He has previously pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, and St. Louis Cardinals. A left-handed pitcher developed through the amateur and collegiate ranks in the Northeast, Veneziano has built his career on durable innings in the minor leagues and a series of relief appearances at the highest level of professional baseball.
Over the course of his career, Veneziano has been a strikeout-oriented pitcher who has worked his way up through the lower levels of the minor leagues to reach the major leagues. His career has carried him from the amateur fields of New Jersey to college baseball in the Southeast, and then through the professional ranks in the United States and into professional baseball in South Korea.
Early Life and Background
Veneziano attended Warren Hills Regional High School in Washington Township, Warren County, New Jersey, where he played baseball and developed as a pitching prospect. Coming out of high school, he drew attention from college programs and continued his playing career at the next level, joining a program with a strong track record of producing professional-caliber arms.
He went on to play college baseball at Coastal Carolina University, a program that has produced numerous professional players over the years. During the summer of 2018, Veneziano played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League, one of the most respected wooden-bat leagues in the country and a frequent stop for top amateur talent on the path to the professional draft.
Path to Professional Baseball
Following his college career and a productive summer in the Cape Cod League, Veneziano entered the 2019 Major League Baseball draft and was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 10th round, with the 289th overall pick. He made his professional debut that same year with the Idaho Falls Chukars, the Royals’ short-season affiliate at the time, beginning his climb through the organization’s minor league system.
Veneziano did not pitch in a game in 2020 because the minor league season was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He returned to the mound in 2021 with the Quad Cities River Bandits, where he delivered one of the strongest seasons of his development years, logging heavy innings as a starting pitcher and showing the strikeout ability that would become a hallmark of his profile.
Anthony Veneziano Career
Early Career (2019–2022)
After his debut with Idaho Falls in 2019, Veneziano used the lost 2020 season to continue his development within the Kansas City organization. In 2021, he made 22 starts for the Quad Cities River Bandits and posted a 6–4 record with a 3.75 earned run average (ERA) and 127 strikeouts across 93 and 2/3 innings pitched, establishing himself as one of the more promising arms in the lower levels of the system.
In 2022, Veneziano advanced to the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals, where he made 26 appearances, 25 of which were starts. He recorded a 6–9 record with a 5.72 ERA and 129 strikeouts, working through the challenges of a full season at a higher level. The innings he logged that year helped set the stage for his eventual promotion to Triple-A and, later, the major leagues.
Kansas City Royals Era (2023–2024)
Veneziano began the 2023 season with Northwest Arkansas before earning a midseason promotion to the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. Across 26 games and 25 starts split between the two clubs, he posted a combined 10–5 record with a 3.55 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 132 innings, a strong follow-up to his earlier work in the minor leagues.
On September 19, 2023, Veneziano was selected to the Royals’ 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. In his rookie season, he made only two appearances and pitched 2 and 1/3 scoreless innings, debuting at the highest level of professional baseball. He was optioned to Triple-A to begin the 2024 season, and in two games with Kansas City that year he recorded a 4.50 ERA with two strikeouts across two innings before being designated for assignment on September 1, 2024.
Miami Marlins Era (2024–2025)
On September 3, 2024, Veneziano was claimed off waivers by the Miami Marlins, and the team added him to its active roster the following day. He went on to make 10 appearances for Miami down the stretch of the 2024 season, posting a 1–0 record with a 3.18 ERA and 12 strikeouts across 11 and 1/3 innings, providing a stabilizing presence in the Marlins’ bullpen during the final weeks of the campaign.
In 2025, Veneziano made 24 appearances for the Marlins, recording a 4.71 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 21 innings of work. He was designated for assignment by Miami on August 1, 2025, following the promotion of Jakob Marsee, ending his second tour of duty with a National League club.
St. Louis Cardinals Era (2025)
On August 4, 2025, Veneziano was claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals, becoming the third MLB organization of his major league career. In two appearances for the Cardinals, he posted a 4.50 ERA with five strikeouts across four innings of work, providing short relief outings in the final months of the season.
On November 6, 2025, Veneziano was removed from the Cardinals’ 40-man roster. He rejected an outright assignment and elected free agency, opening the door for a move outside of Major League Baseball.
SSG Landers Era (2026–Present)
On December 15, 2025, Veneziano signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, but he was released on January 10, 2026, in order to pursue an opportunity overseas. On January 19, 2026, he signed with the SSG Landers of the KBO League, filling the spot vacated by Drew VerHagen, who had failed a physical exam. The move marked Veneziano’s first professional baseball experience outside of the United States.
Driving Style and Strengths
Veneziano has consistently generated strikeouts at every level of the minor leagues, peaking with back-to-back seasons of 127 strikeouts in 2021 and 2023 and 129 strikeouts in 2022. His ability to log innings as a starter in the minor leagues, combined with a swingman profile in the major leagues, has given teams flexibility in how they have deployed him. As a left-handed pitcher, he has offered managers a second look against opposing lineups, and his track record suggests he can be effective in short bursts at the highest level.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Veneziano’s career came on September 19, 2023, when he was selected to the Kansas City Royals’ 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. Other milestones include his first major league win with the Miami Marlins in 2024 and his transition to international baseball in the KBO League with the SSG Landers in 2026.
Anthony Veneziano Career Statistics
Through the 2025 MLB season, Veneziano has posted a 1–0 win-loss record, a 3.98 earned run average, and 40 strikeouts in his major league career, numbers spread across stints with the Royals, Marlins, and Cardinals. His most extensive major league workload came with the Marlins in 2024 and 2025, where he worked primarily as a reliever and posted a 1–0 record.
Major League Baseball Highlights
Veneziano’s major league career has spanned three organizations over parts of three seasons, beginning with his debut in September 2023 with the Royals. His first major league win came during his brief stint with the Miami Marlins in 2024, when he posted a 1–0 record with a 3.18 ERA across 10 appearances. Most recently, he made two appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2025 before electing free agency.
Anthony Veneziano Family
Personal Life
Limited public information is available about Anthony James Veneziano’s personal and family life outside of baseball. He was raised in the Washington Township area of Warren County, New Jersey, where he attended Warren Hills Regional High School. Further details about his parents, spouse, and children are not publicly confirmed in the verified sources available for this article.
2025 Season Performance
Veneziano’s 2025 season was split between two National League organizations, beginning with the Miami Marlins and ending with the St. Louis Cardinals. In the early portion of the year, he made 24 appearances for the Marlins, recording a 4.71 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 21 innings of work as a member of their bullpen.
Following his designation for assignment by the Marlins on August 1, 2025, Veneziano was claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals on August 4. In two appearances for the Cardinals, he posted a 4.50 ERA with five strikeouts across four innings of work, rounding out his major league campaign in St. Louis.
After the season, Veneziano was removed from the Cardinals’ 40-man roster on November 6, 2025, and elected free agency by rejecting an outright assignment. He subsequently signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on December 15, 2025, before being released on January 10, 2026, in order to pursue an opportunity overseas with the SSG Landers of the KBO League.