Jorge De Leon

Note: This page is for pitcher Jorge De Leon; for minor league infielder Jorge DeLeon, click here.

Jorge Luis De Leon

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 168 lb.

• Debut August 9, 2013
• Final Game September 28, 2014
• Born August 15, 1987 in La Vega, La Vega D.R.

BR page

Biographical Information

Jorge De Leon is a former relief pitcher who made his major league debut with the Houston Astros in 2013.

Signed by Julio Linares and Sergio Beltre, De Leon began his professional career as a shortstop in 2006, playing for the DSL Astros, hitting .230/.297/.355 in 56 games; playing primarily shortstop, he fielded only .854 there but .962 at 2B. He struck out 57 times in 183 AB. Again with the DSL Astros in 2007, De Leon hit .190/.298/.307 in 52 games while fielding .922. He tied for 9th in the Dominican Summer League with 13 times hit-by-pitch. He moved stateside in 2008, playing for the Greeneville Astros and hitting .235/.297/.363 in 32 games. He fielded .906 as their #2 shortstop.

In 2009, he played for the Tri-City ValleyCats (.242/.296/.364 in 23 G) and the Lexington Legends (.187/.219/.244 in 43 G), hitting a combined .206/.246/.286 and fielding .901 in 66 games. He converted to pitching for the 2010 season, making 23 appearances for the ValleyCats and going 2-1 with six saves and a 0.64 ERA. With the 2011 Legends, the 23-year-old was 6-4 with 16 saves and a 3.42 ERA. He was second in the Astros chain in saves (3 behind Kirk Clark) and tied for 4th in the South Atlantic League.

De Leon was miserable for the 2012 Lancaster JetHawks (2-9, 6 Sv, 7.70, 1.83 WHIP), allowing 88 runs in 87 2/3 innings. He tied for 9th in the California League in losses. He began 2013 on better footing with the Corpus Christi Hooks (0-3, 6 Sv, 4.27 in 29 G) then moved up to the Oklahoma City RedHawks. After five scoreless games in AAA (one save, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 K in 7 1/3 IP), he was called up to replace the demoted Jose Cisnero in the major league bullpen.

Jorge made his major league debut in a 9-5 loss to the Texas Rangers on August 9, 2013. He relieved Wesley Wright in the top of the 8th with a 7-4 deficit, two on and two outs and retired Elvis Andrus on a fly ball. In the 9th, though, he gave up a double to Ian Kinsler, a single to Adrian Beltre, a run-scoring grounder to A.J. Pierzynski, a walk to Mitch Moreland and a RBI double to David Murphy before retiring Engel Beltre and Jurickson Profar (on his first big league strikeout) to end the carnage.

Related Sites

• Jorge De Leon on mlb.com
• BR Minors page