Dontrelle Wayne Willis was born on 12 January 1982, in Oakland, California USA, and is a retired professional baseball player, having played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for numerous teams, including the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, and Detroit Tigers. All of his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it is today.
So just how rich is Dontrelle Willis? As of mid-2016, sources inform us of a net worth that is at $20 million, mostly earned through a successful career in professional baseball. He was well known for his unconventional pitching style, but still earned several awards throughout the course of his career, all of which helped ensure the position of his wealth.
Dontrelle Willis Net Worth $20 million
Dontrelle was a fan of professional baseball ever since he was a kid, often rooting for the Oakland Athletics. He attended and played baseball at Encinal High School, and during his time there he was able to achieve a 12-1 record as a senior, but scouts were still doubtful of his pitching style. He joined the 2000 Major League Baseball draft and was selected in the eighth round by the Chicago Cubs. He excelled during his first year in the minor leagues, with many managers calling him one of the best players.
While part of the minor leagues, he was traded to the Florida Marlins and would struggle at Class A. He would go on to be promoted to the Class-AA the Carolina Mudcats and dominate with them. In 2003, he made his Major League debut and got his first win on May 14 against the Padres. He was named Rookie and Pitcher of the Month, going on to win seven straight starts. He participated in the 2003 National League Division Series and showed great hitting ability as well. The Marlins would advance to the NL Championship Series, and would get to the 2003 World Series, defeating the New York Yankees. Unsurprisingly he was named the National League Rookie of the Year.
The next season proved to be lackluster for Dontrelle, however, when the 2005 season came around, he suddenly improved to become one of the best pitchers in the league. He became the league’s first six-game winner, and would continue to a streak of 10 games, and then became NL’s first 12-game winner against the Braves. He would be named to the All-Star team but would not pitch for that game. He would end the season with 22 wins which is the most in baseball and he would then get the Warren Spahn Award. 2006’s performance didn’t compare to the previous year, and in 2007 Willis had re-signed to a one year, $6.54 million contract.
He was then traded to the Detroit Tigers, and given a three-year, $29 million contract with the team. He had troubles during this season because of a knee injury and had little success, and he was also troubled by an anxiety disorder because of blood test results. In 2010, he finally made it back to the rotation, but during his three years there, he played very little and had a negative record. He was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks and eventually released.
Dontrelle then signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants, but eventually left as a free agent. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds and had improved a little, but not enough to keep him in the rotation. Willis would go on the next five years signing with various teams such as the Cubs, Phillies, Ducks, Giants, and Brewers. No longer showcasing the skills he used to have, he announced his retirement in 2015.
For his personal life, it is known that Dontrelle married Natalee Vitagliano in 2007 and they have two daughters.
