Dane Dunning

Lore & Background

Dunning attended the University of Florida and played college baseball for the Florida Gators. He was selected by the Washington Nationals in the first round of the 2016 MLB draft. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox on December 7, 2016, and made his MLB debut on August 19, 2020, with the White Sox. On December 7, 2020, he was traded to the Texas Rangers. He underwent Tommy John surgery on March 18, 2019, and hip surgery at the end of September 2022. He was traded to the Atlanta Braves on July 17, 2025, and signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners on January 22, 2026.

In Their Own Story

The humidity hung heavy over Globe Life Field as Dane stepped onto the mound for the seventh inning of Game 5. The crowd noise was a distant roar compared to the rhythmic thud of his own heartbeat. He adjusted his cap, feeling the familiar weight of the ball in his left hand. With the bases loaded and two outs, he locked eyes with the batter, took a deep breath, and unleashed a slider that cut sharply away from the plate. The crack of the bat was absent; instead, the catcher's mitt snapped shut, sealing another inning for Texas.

Reader's Guide

Dunning is a right-handed pitcher. He has a career MLB record of 28–32 with a 4.34 ERA and 417 strikeouts through the 2024 season. He won the Texas Rangers Pitcher of the Year award in 2023 and received a World Series ring with the Rangers in 2023.

Did You Know?

• Dunning is half-Korean and joined the South Korea national team for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
• He recorded his first major league hit on June 1, 2021, a single off Germán Márquez.
• His older brother, Jake, has also pitched in MLB.