Dustin May Bio
Dustin Jake May (born September 6, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher. He currently pitches for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Across his major league career, May has also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox. Selected by the Dodgers in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft, he debuted in the majors in 2019 and became a World Series champion the following year.
Early Life and Background
Dustin Jake May was born on September 6, 1997, and grew up in the Justin, Texas area. He attended Northwest High School, where he developed into a highly regarded pitching prospect. Coming out of high school, May was committed to play college baseball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, signaling the strong reputation he had built as an amateur.
Rather than attend college, May chose to begin his professional career immediately after the 2016 MLB Draft. The Los Angeles Dodgers selected him in the third round and signed him to a deal that included a $1 million signing bonus. The decision to forgo his college commitment reflected both his draft position and the Dodgers’ confidence in his long-term potential on the mound.
Path to Baseball
May’s path through the minor leagues began with the Arizona League Dodgers after he signed in 2016. He spent that first season working his way into professional baseball, posting a 3.86 ERA with 34 strikeouts across 30 2/3 innings. In 2017, he advanced through the low minors, splitting time between the Great Lakes Loons and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes while posting a combined 3.63 ERA in 25 games.
By 2018, May was emerging as one of the Dodgers’ top pitching prospects. He earned a spot on the postseason California League all-star team with the Quakes and later helped the Tulsa Drillers clinch a playoff title with a strong start in September. Across 23 total starts that season, he went 9-5 with a 3.39 ERA, putting himself in position for a rapid rise toward the majors.
Dustin May Career
Early Career (2019)
May began 2019 in Double-A Tulsa, where he was selected to the mid-season Texas League All-Star Game and the All-Star Futures Game. A promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City followed in late June, and he continued to log strikeouts at a high rate. On August 2, 2019, the Dodgers called him up to the majors, and he made his MLB debut as a starting pitcher against the San Diego Padres, recording his first strikeout of Hunter Renfroe.
He earned his first big league win on August 13, 2019, against the Miami Marlins, pitching 5 2/3 innings of one-run baseball. By the end of his rookie season, he appeared in 14 games for the Dodgers, posting a 2-3 record and a 3.63 ERA with 32 strikeouts against only five walks. He also contributed in the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals, helping lay the groundwork for the Dodgers’ deeper postseason run.
Los Angeles Dodgers (2020-2023, 2025)
May’s 2020 season marked his true arrival as a major league starter. With Clayton Kershaw injured before Opening Day, May was selected as the Dodgers’ opening day starter, becoming the youngest pitcher to take that role for the club since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. He went 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA across 12 appearances, and his four-seam fastball averaged 99.1 mph, the fastest among major league pitchers that season. That October, he appeared in both the National League Championship Series and the World Series, helping Los Angeles win the championship.
Health setbacks shaped the next several seasons. In 2021, May tore his UCL on May 1 and underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his year after five starts. He returned briefly in 2022 before a lower back issue ended his regular season. In 2023, he posted a 2.63 ERA in nine starts before a right flexor pronator strain and a Grade 2 UCL sprain required additional surgery, wiping out the remainder of his season.
May’s 2024 campaign was halted by an esophageal tear that required emergency surgery in July, an injury that ultimately saved his life after a choking incident at dinner. He re-signed with the Dodgers for 2025 and returned to the rotation on April 1, 2025, striking out six across five innings against the Atlanta Braves. He made 18 starts for Los Angeles that year before being moved to a bulk relief role in late July.
Boston Red Sox (2025)
On July 31, 2025, the Dodgers traded May to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for prospects James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard. The move gave May a fresh opportunity in a new organization. He went on to make six appearances, five of them starts, for Boston, finishing his time there with a 1-4 record and a 5.40 ERA across 28 1/3 innings.
St. Louis Cardinals Era (2025-Present)
On December 17, 2025, May signed a one-year, $12.5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals that included a mutual option for the 2027 season. The deal marked his first move into the National League Central and signaled a new chapter in his career. He has since been a presence in the Cardinals’ pitching staff as the 2026 season has unfolded.
One of the defining moments of May’s St. Louis tenure came on June 15, 2026, when he threw his first career complete game, a one-hit shutout against the San Diego Padres. He needed just 101 pitches to complete the gem, missing a Maddux by only two pitches. The performance underscored the frontline starter potential the Cardinals envisioned when they signed him.
Pitching Style and Strengths
May is a tall, 6-foot-6 right-hander who works from a three-quarter arm slot with a high leg lift in his delivery. His primary offering 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 with his velocity, and he has continued to generate ground balls and swings-and-misses with his fastball shape.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among May’s signature moments are his 2020 Opening Day start for the Dodgers, his 2020 World Series championship, and his first career complete game shutout with the Cardinals in June 2026. He has also persevered through Tommy John surgery, a flexor tendon procedure, and a life-threatening esophageal tear, returning to the mound each time.
Dustin May Career Wins
Dustin Jake May has compiled his major league victories across stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals. His first MLB win came on August 13, 2019, against the Miami Marlins, and his most recent notable victory was his one-hit shutout of the San Diego Padres on June 15, 2026. The 2020 World Series championship remains the headline achievement of his career.
Major League Highlights
May’s first big league win arrived in 2019, and he added three more regular-season wins in the 2020 pandemic-shortened campaign on his way to a World Series ring. Across his major league career, he has worked as both a starter and a reliever, with the 2026 shutout standing as his most decorated individual performance to date.
Other Wins and Performances
In the minors, May earned a postseason California League all-star selection in 2018 and a Texas League All-Star nod in 2019. He also appeared in the 2019 All-Star Futures Game, highlighting his prospect status before reaching the majors.
Dustin May Family
Family Background and Personal Life
May is widely known in baseball circles by the nickname “Gingergaard,” a nod to former teammate Noah Syndergaard that references his red hair and pitching profile. Beyond his playing identity, he has kept much of his family life private, with public details centered on his marriage rather than his parents or siblings.
Marriage and Personal Life
May married his long-time girlfriend, Amelia “Millie” Trautner, on December 27, 2022. In July 2024, Trautner helped save his life by acting quickly when he began choking at dinner, leading to an ER visit that revealed a torn esophagus requiring emergency surgery. May has publicly credited his wife with recognizing the seriousness of the situation and ensuring he got to the hospital that night.
2025 Season Performance
Dustin Jake May’s 2025 season was defined by a return to health and a mid-year trade. After signing a $2.135 million deal with the Dodgers to avoid arbitration, he opened the year in the rotation and made 18 starts plus a relief appearance, finishing his Dodgers stint at 6-7 with a 4.85 ERA and 97 strikeouts. On July 30, Los Angeles moved him out of the rotation and into a bulk relief role.
One day later, on July 31, the Dodgers traded May to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for prospects James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard. With Boston, he made six appearances, five of them starts, going 1-4 with a 5.40 ERA across 28 1/3 innings. The late-season trade set the stage for his free-agent move to St. Louis.
On December 17, 2025, May capitalized on his new freedom by signing a one-year, $12.5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals that included a mutual option for 2027. The agreement positioned him as a veteran addition to the Cardinals’ rotation heading into 2026, where he has already flashed frontline potential.
