Anthony Banda has been part of thirteen organizations, has been traded seven times, and once came close to retiring. He also owns two World Series rings.
The left-handed reliever was born on August 10, 1993, in Corpus Christi, Texas. He is now 33 and pitches for the Minnesota Twins. His story is less about one big break than about staying in the game each time it offered him a reason to leave.
This guide covers his age and background, every stop in his career, his family, and what is and isn’t known about his marriage and net worth. Each fact comes from team records, major outlets or documented reporting.
Key Takeaways
• Anthony Banda turned 33 on August 10, 2026. He is a left-handed reliever wearing No. 43 for the Twins.
• He won the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 and 2025.
• He reached the majors in 2017, had Tommy John surgery in 2018, and spent years bouncing between teams before the Dodgers.
• A left lat injury ended his 2026 season in July, and he expects to be ready for spring training.
• No reliable source confirms his marriage, and no reputable outlet has published a verified net worth.
Anthony Banda Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Full name | Frank Anthony Banda |
| Date of birth | August 10, 1993 |
| Age | 33 |
| Birthplace | Corpus Christi, Texas, USA |
| Position | Left-handed relief pitcher |
| Team | Minnesota Twins (No. 43) |
| Bats / Throws | Left / Left |
| Height / Weight | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) / 221 lb (100 kg) |
| High school | Sinton High School, Texas |
| College | San Jacinto College, Texas |
| Draft | 10th round, 2012, Milwaukee Brewers |
| MLB debut | July 22, 2017, Arizona Diamondbacks |
| Championships | 2× World Series champion (2024, 2025) |
| Career MLB record | 17-9, 4.44 ERA, 253 strikeouts in 248 games (through June 28, 2026) |
| Children | One son, born December 2018 |
| Marital status | Not publicly confirmed (see the marriage section) |
| Net worth | No verified figure; estimates are discussed below |
Who Is Anthony Banda?
Anthony Banda is an American professional baseball pitcher who plays for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). His full name is Frank Anthony Banda, and his surname is pronounced “BOND-ah.”
He throws and bats left-handed and works almost entirely out of the bullpen. He has appeared in 248 big-league games, with only nine starts. His career runs from a 2017 debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks through stops with the Rays, Mets, Pirates, Blue Jays, Yankees, Nationals and Dodgers before he joined the Twins in February 2026.
Casual fans often know him as the reliever from the Dodgers’ 2024 and 2025 championship bullpens. As a two-time champion with a long and unusual route to get there, he is a useful case study in how many different ways a baseball career can go.
Early Life in Sinton, Texas
Banda grew up in the Coastal Bend of Texas, near Corpus Christi. His parents are Frank and Danette Banda, and he is one of five siblings.
High School and a Draft He Turned Down
He pitched for Sinton High School. The Diamondbacks drafted him in the 33rd round in 2011. He chose not to sign and enrolled at San Jacinto College, a junior college near Houston.
That decision paid off. At San Jacinto he went 7-1 with a 2.01 ERA and 73 strikeouts, and earned third-team junior college All-America honors. A year later, in 2012, the Milwaukee Brewers took him in the 10th round.
Minor League Years
Banda’s professional debut came in 2012 in the Arizona League, where he posted a 5.83 ERA over 41⅔ innings. Progress was steady rather than spectacular. He started 14 games for Helena in 2013 and moved up to Class A Wisconsin in 2014.
The Trade That Sent Him to Arizona
On July 31, 2014, the Brewers traded Banda and outfielder Mitch Haniger to the Diamondbacks for outfielder Gerardo Parra. Haniger went on to become a major leaguer himself, which makes it a notable trade in hindsight.
From Visalia to the Futures Game
Banda led the California League with 152 strikeouts in 2015 while pitching for Visalia. In 2016 he moved from Double-A Mobile to Triple-A Reno and was picked for the All-Star Futures Game, finishing 10-6 with a 2.88 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 150 innings. The Diamondbacks added him to their 40-man roster after that season, and he began 2017 back at Reno.
MLB Career Before the Dodgers
Banda’s years before 2024 were rough, and understanding them is the key to understanding why his later success is notable.
Diamondbacks Debut and the Rays Trade
Banda made his MLB debut on July 22, 2017, in Arizona against the Nationals. He struck out the first batter he faced, Brian Goodwin, and finished with five strikeouts in 5⅔ innings, though he took the loss after allowing four runs. He went 2-3 with a 5.96 ERA in 24⅔ big-league innings that season.
In February 2018, he was part of a three-team trade that sent him from Arizona to Tampa Bay. He debuted for the Rays on May 15 against Kansas City.
Tommy John Surgery and the Lost Seasons
On June 4, 2018, Banda was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, which required Tommy John surgery. That ended his 2018 season and kept him out for part of 2019. He made 13 rehabilitation appearances in the minors before returning to the Rays on September 8, 2019.
His 2020 season was brief. He pitched seven innings over four appearances in the shortened year, allowing eight earned runs, and the Rays designated him for assignment on August 30.
Mets, Pirates, Blue Jays, Yankees and Nationals
From 2020 to 2023 Banda moved constantly:
• Giants (2020–21): Acquired for cash on August 31, 2020, and kept in the minors.
• Mets (2021): Traded for Will Toffey in July, pitched five games, then was designated for assignment.
• Pirates (2021–22): Claimed off waivers on August 2, 2021. His 3.42 ERA over 25 appearances that season was one of the better stretches of his early career. In 2022 he struggled to a 6.41 ERA.
• Blue Jays (2022): Acquired for cash considerations, pitched seven games, then was designated for assignment again.
• Mariners and Yankees (2022): Signed a minor league deal in August, then a major league deal with the Yankees, who designated him within a week.
• Nationals (2023): Made the Opening Day roster, pitched 10 games with a 6.43 ERA, and was designated for assignment on April 30. He then posted a 9.23 ERA at Triple-A Rochester.
His brother died in November 2022, during this stretch. That loss, and how Banda has spoken about it, is covered in the family section below.
Why Banda Changed Teams So Often
Reading Banda’s record can feel like decoding a foreign language. A few terms explain nearly all of it, and this section is the plain-English version.
• Designated for assignment (DFA): A team removes a player from its 40-man roster to open a spot. It then has a short window to trade him, release him or send him through waivers.
• Waivers: Other teams can claim a player for a small fee. The Pirates claimed Banda this way in August 2021.
• Outright assignment: If no one claims him, the team can move him to the minors off the 40-man roster. A player with enough service time or a past outright can refuse and become a free agent. Banda did exactly that in August 2022.
• Minor league deal: A contract for a player not on a 40-man roster, usually with a chance to make the big club in spring training.
The Banda Transaction Ladder
| Date | Move |
| Jul 31, 2014 | Traded by Brewers to Diamondbacks (with Mitch Haniger) |
| Feb 18, 2018 | Traded to Rays in a three-team deal |
| Aug 30–31, 2020 | DFA by Rays; traded to Giants for cash |
| Jul 2, 2021 | Traded to Mets for Will Toffey |
| Jul 31–Aug 2, 2021 | DFA by Mets; claimed by Pirates |
| Jul 2, 2022 | Traded to Blue Jays for cash |
| Aug 2022 | Mariners minor league deal, then Yankees major league deal |
| Apr 30, 2023 | DFA by Nationals |
| Jan 30, 2024 | Minor league deal with Guardians |
| May 17, 2024 | Traded to Dodgers for cash |
| Feb 6–12, 2026 | DFA by Dodgers; traded to Twins for international bonus pool space |
By the time the Twins acquired him in 2026, MLB.com counted it as his 13th organization and his seventh trade. None of this reflects a lack of talent so much as how teams treat fringe relievers. Each club needed roster room, and a left-hander with a strong arm and spotty command was easy to cut and easy to re-sign.
That pattern is what makes the next chapter striking. In May 2024, the Guardians sent him to Los Angeles for cash, and he stayed for two championship seasons.
Becoming a Two-Time World Series Champion with the Dodgers
The Dodgers years changed how baseball saw Anthony Banda. The pitcher who had been cut again and again became a trusted bullpen arm on two championship teams.
The 2024 Title Run
The Dodgers acquired Banda from the Guardians for cash on May 17, 2024. Two days later he made his Dodgers debut in an extra-innings game against the Reds. He threw a scoreless tenth inning, struck out a batter and picked up the win.
He finished the regular season 3-2 with a 3.08 ERA, two saves and 50 strikeouts in 49⅔ innings across 48 games. In September he broke his left hand after a poor outing and missed about two weeks, returning on September 26.
In the postseason he pitched 8 innings over 10 games and allowed one run, as the Dodgers beat the Yankees for the 2024 championship. He later told the team’s reporters he felt he had found a home in Los Angeles, and he has said he was close to retiring before that season.
He marked the title with a large back tattoo featuring the trophy, the logos of every club he has played for, and the “Mister Cartoon” mask the Dodgers bullpen wore during the run, according to his MLB.com bio.
The 2025 Title and a Tough World Series Outing
Banda’s 2025 season was his most productive. He pitched in a team-high 71 games, went 5-1 with a 3.18 ERA, and struck out 61 batters in 65 innings. Los Angeles also used him as an opener in some games, a role that has become common in modern bullpen management.
The postseason was more uneven. He threw a scoreless inning in the Division Series against Philadelphia and 1⅔ scoreless innings in the NLCS against Milwaukee. The World Series against Toronto was rougher. He allowed six runs on six hits, including two home runs, over three innings across four games.
The Dodgers still won in seven games, and Banda’s second ring was never in question. He discussed his struggles openly on camera afterward, which fits a pattern: he has rarely hidden from bad outings.
Anthony Banda with the Twins in 2026
Less than four months after the 2025 title, the Dodgers designated Banda for assignment on February 6, 2026. Reporting at the time tied the move to a roster spot for catcher Ben Rortvedt, whom they had claimed off waivers. Banda had just agreed to a $1.625 million salary to avoid arbitration.
On February 12 the Twins acquired him for international bonus pool space. MLB Trade Rumors noted that no cash changed hands; the Twins’ spending limit shrank by $500,000 and the Dodgers’ grew by the same amount.
Twins manager Derek Shelton knew him well. Shelton managed Banda in Pittsburgh in 2021 and 2022. Over his two seasons with Los Angeles, Banda had a 3.14 ERA with 111 strikeouts in 114⅔ innings, plus 19 holds and two saves.
His 2026 season with Minnesota:
• He pitched 39 games with a 2-0 record, a 4.46 ERA, 33 strikeouts and two saves over 34⅓ innings.
• He received his 2025 World Series ring before the Dodgers’ June series in Minnesota. On June 24 he struck out two in a scoreless inning against his former team.
• The Twins placed him on the injured list on June 29 with a left lat strain. In July he had surgery to repair it and was ruled out for the rest of the season.
• He expects to be ready for the start of spring training in February 2027.
Anthony Banda’s Stats
Anthony Banda’s stats tell the story of a late bloomer. His first six seasons were uneven, and his best numbers came after 30.
| Year | Team(s) | Games | Highlights |
| 2017 | Diamondbacks | 8 | 2-3, 5.96 ERA in 24⅔ IP |
| 2018 | Rays | 3 | Tommy John surgery diagnosed in June |
| 2019 | Rays | 3 | Returned September 8 after rehab |
| 2020 | Rays | 4 | 7 IP, 8 earned runs |
| 2021 | Mets, Pirates | 5 + 25 | 7.36 ERA (Mets); 3.42 ERA, 25 K in 26⅓ IP (Pirates) |
| 2022 | Pirates, Blue Jays, Yankees | 23 + 7 + 2 | 6.41 ERA with Pirates |
| 2023 | Nationals | 10 | 6.43 ERA, designated for assignment April 30 |
| 2024 | Dodgers | 48 | 3-2, 3.08 ERA, 50 K, World Series title |
| 2025 | Dodgers | 71 | 5-1, 3.18 ERA, 61 K, World Series title |
| 2026 | Twins | 39 | 2-0, 4.46 ERA, 33 K, 2 saves, season-ending surgery |
His career regular-season line through June 28, 2026: 17-9, 4.44 ERA, 248 games, nine starts, five saves, 267⅔ innings, 253 strikeouts and a 1.42 WHIP.
Two quick definitions for readers newer to baseball: ERA is earned runs allowed per nine innings (lower is better), and WHIP is walks plus hits per inning pitched (lower is better).
How Anthony Banda Pitches
Banda is a left-handed power reliever who leans on a slider. According to 2026 Statcast data, his pitch mix looked like this:
| Pitch | Usage (approx.) | Average velocity |
| Slider | 41% | 84.5 mph |
| Sinker | 27% | 94.7 mph |
| Four-seam fastball | 26% | 94.6 mph |
| Changeup | 6% | 87.3 mph |
Some stat pages list a curveball for him, but the tracking data shows no curveball in his 2026 arsenal.
His fastballs sat around 94–95 mph in 2026, down from a 96.1 mph four-seamer with the Dodgers in 2024. His 2026 strikeout rate was 21.0%, with a 26.7% swing-and-miss rate.
His clearest weakness is command. Twins blog Twinkie Town noted when he was acquired that his walk rate in 2025 ranked among the worst among MLB relievers, and that he would likely work best as a lefty specialist, since left-handed batters hit him less well than right-handers do. One Twins Daily writer called his changeup unremarkable, and he rarely throws it.
Anthony Banda’s Family, Son and the Loss of His Brother
Banda was born to Frank and Danette Banda in Corpus Christi and has four siblings. He has described himself in interviews as someone who puts family and faith first.
His Son
Banda has one son, born in December 2018. That was about six months after his Tommy John surgery, and Banda has said the baby helped drive his comeback. His son’s name appears only on lower-quality websites, so we don’t print it here.
His Brother Mathew
On November 2, 2022, Banda’s younger brother Mathew, a 27-year-old Navy veteran, was killed along with 37-year-old Betsy Mandujano by an intoxicated driver going the wrong way on the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge. Some coverage spells his name “Matthew.” Mathew’s daughter was a toddler when he died.
Banda has spoken about the loss publicly. He told KRIS-TV in Corpus Christi that it still affects him, that he prays to his brother daily, and that people should be responsible behind the wheel. He told the Star Tribune that he contemplated retiring afterward and that he promised his brother he would try to be even a fraction as good a man.
His brother’s tombstone is tattooed on his right calf.
Is Anthony Banda Married? What Is and Isn’t Confirmed
This is one of the most searched questions about Banda, and many sites answer it with confidence they haven’t earned. Here is what the sources actually support.
| Claim | Source type | Status |
| He lives in Arizona with his fiancée Stephanie and his son | MLB.com player bio | Official team bio; the only first-party mention |
| He has one son | Wikipedia, citing a 2020 WTSP report | Reliably sourced |
| He has a wife, sometimes with a surname attached | Unsourced content-farm pages, a TikTok caption | Unverified and inconsistent |
| A different woman’s name | At least one other site | Unverified |
The reliable record is narrow. His MLB bio names a fiancée called Stephanie. No reputable outlet we found confirms a marriage, a wedding date or a legal name for his partner. The surname that circulates traces back to pages that don’t cite anything, so we leave it out.
If Banda marries or confirms a marriage in the future, an official team bio or a news outlet will likely be the first place it appears. Until then, “engaged, with a partner named Stephanie, per the MLB bio” is as far as the verified record goes.
Anthony Banda’s Net Worth and Career Earnings
There is no verified net worth figure for Anthony Banda. Forbes and Bloomberg haven’t published one, and the numbers that circulate online come from small sites that tend to copy each other. All figures below are in US dollars and are estimates from public sources, not audited or confirmed by Banda.
Net Worth Estimates Compared
| Source | Reported figure | Year | Note |
| Spotrac (contract tracker) | About $5.47 million in career earnings | Through 2026 | Gross salary earnings, not net worth |
| Mabumbe | About $2.3 million | 2025 | Low-authority blog, no method shown |
| Blog Neve | About $2.3 million | 2025 | Appears to repeat the same figure |
| Baseball Biographies | $2,317,317 | 2025 | False precision for a private estimate |
| Celebinfohub | $2 million to $3 million | 2025 | Range, no method shown |
| Acubistyles | $2 million to $3 million | 2026 | Range, no method shown |
The estimates cluster around $2 million to $3 million, but that agreement mostly reflects sites citing one another, not independent calculation. Treat the range as a rough guess. Net worth figures also change over time and may be out of date by the time you read this.
Where His Income Comes From
Only one income source is documented: his MLB salary. Banda signed a one-year, $1.625 million contract with the Dodgers in January 2026 to avoid arbitration, and the Twins took on that salary when they acquired him in February.
Earlier salaries have been much lower, as you’d expect from a player who spent years on minor league deals and short big-league stints. Some sites mention endorsements, real estate and car investments, but none of them cite a source, so we don’t include them.
Why Career Earnings Aren’t Net Worth
A career earnings figure of about $5.47 million is the gross salary paid over his career. Net worth is what remains after federal and state taxes, agent and advisor fees, and living expenses, plus whatever he has saved or invested. In professional sports, those deductions can take a large share of the gross, which is why estimates below the gross total are plausible. They can’t be verified without his financial records.
Off the Field: Tattoos, Faith and Life in Arizona
Banda is known around baseball for his tattoos. His MLB.com bio says he has full sleeves on both arms and a chest piece, in addition to the back tattoo marking the 2024 title and the memorial tattoo for his brother covered earlier.
The same bio listed Arizona as his home, alongside his partner and son, though that bio is a team document and may not reflect his current address. He is on Instagram as @anthony43banda and on X as @anthony_banda3, and he rarely shares family photos there.
In interviews with Corpus Christi media, he has described faith and family as his priorities, a theme that runs through how he talks about both baseball and loss.
Contract Status and What Comes Next for Anthony Banda
Banda’s contract picture is clear for 2026 and less settled afterward, and sources describe the details differently.
• 2026: $1.625 million, signed to avoid arbitration.
• After 2026: Baseball-Reference lists him as arbitration-eligible in 2027 and a free agent in 2028. Twins Daily described the Twins as controlling him through 2027 at a low price. These are consistent, since arbitration-eligible players stay under team control for that season, but the exact terms will depend on the Twins’ offseason decisions.
• Health: He had surgery to repair a left lat strain in July 2026 and expects to be ready for spring training in February 2027. Any return to the Twins’ bullpen depends on that recovery.
Teams decide each offseason whether to keep arbitration-eligible players, so his situation could change between now and spring training. His track record suggests that wherever he lands, a left-hander with mid-90s velocity and a swing-and-miss slider will find an opportunity.
FAQ’s
How old is Anthony Banda?
Anthony Banda is 33. He was born on August 10, 1993, in Corpus Christi, Texas, and turned 33 in August 2026.
How many World Series rings does Anthony Banda have?
He has two. Banda won the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024, beating the Yankees, and again in 2025, beating the Blue Jays in seven games.
Is Anthony Banda married?
His marriage isn’t publicly confirmed. His MLB.com bio says he lives in Arizona with his fiancée Stephanie and his son. Websites that call her his wife or give her a surname don’t cite reliable sources.
Does Anthony Banda have children?
Yes, he has one son, born in December 2018. Banda has said the birth, which came after his Tommy John surgery, helped motivate his return to pitching. He keeps his son’s details private.
What is Anthony Banda’s net worth?
No verified figure exists. Small websites estimate $2 million to $3 million, while Spotrac’s tally of his career salary earnings is about $5.47 million before taxes and fees. Those two numbers measure different things.
Why did the Dodgers let Anthony Banda go?
The Dodgers designated him for assignment on February 6, 2026, and reporting at the time tied the move to a roster spot for catcher Ben Rortvedt. They traded him to the Twins six days later for international bonus pool space.
Is Anthony Banda injured?
Yes. The Twins placed him on the injured list on June 29, 2026, with a left lat strain, and he underwent surgery in July that ended his season. He expects to be ready for spring training in February 2027.
What happened to Anthony Banda’s brother?
His younger brother Mathew, a 27-year-old Navy veteran, was killed on November 2, 2022, by a drunk driver going the wrong way on the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge. Banda has spoken publicly about the loss and has said he considered retiring afterward.
Why has Anthony Banda played for so many teams?
He has been part of 13 organizations because relievers on the edge of a roster are often designated for assignment, traded for cash or released when teams need space. Banda was traded seven times and designated for assignment repeatedly before settling in with the Dodgers in 2024.
Conclusion
Anthony Banda’s career is a lesson in persistence more than polish. He was drafted twice, had Tommy John surgery, was cut or traded again and again, and lost his younger brother in a tragedy he still speaks about. Through all of it he kept pitching, and he won two World Series with the Dodgers. As he recovers from lat surgery, the open question is where he pitches next. What can be verified about his marriage and net worth remains limited to what the public record supports.
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