Michael Leys

Michael Leys

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 10", Weight 165 lb.

• Born April 16, 1974 in Antwerp Belgium

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Michael Leys was the ace of the Belgian national team a couple times.

He was 0-1 with a 8.10 ERA in the 1993 European Championship, allowing 18 hits and 9 walks in 10 innings. He was among the tourney leaders in games pitched (3, tied for 8th), starts (2, tied for 4th) and walks (tied for 10th). In the 1995 European Championship, the 21-year-old southpaw was 1-1 with a 7.71 ERA for Belgium with 14 K in 11 2/3 IP. He was not one of the stars on the Bronze Medal winners that year. While Belgium was Medal-less in the 1997 European Championship, Leys led all pitchers with no earned runs in 11 2/3 IP; he was also 2-0.

He did not pitch in the 1999 European Championship, though he did appear in six games for the independent Cook County Cheetahs of the Frontier League that season, going 0-0 with a 5.27 ERA. That made him one of the first (if not the first) Belgian players to appear in the US as no Belgian-born and -raised player had yet played in the affiliated minors. Leys was again dominant in the 2001 European Championship with no runs and 4 hits in 10 innings. He again had the most innings without an earned run in a European Championship tournament. He had one save and one win and was named the tourney's All-Star left-handed pitcher.

Michael was less effective in the 2003 European Championship, going 0-1 with a save and a 6.75 ERA, walking 3 in 1 1/3 IP.