José Eugenio De León Domenech (born August 7, 1992) is a Puerto Rican

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

in the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

organization. He has played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

, and

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

Career

Los Angeles Dodgers

De León played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

Southern University Southern University and A&M College (Southern University, Southern, SUBR or SU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is the largest historically black college or university (HBCU) in Louisiana, a ...

from 2011 to 2013. He was drafted by the

in the 24th round of the

2013 Major League Baseball Draft The 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in ...

. He signed with the Dodgers and made his professional debut with the

Arizona League Dodgers The Arizona Complex League Dodgers are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Camelback Ranch in Phoenix, Arizona. The team is compos ...

. He was later promoted to the

Ogden Raptors The Ogden Raptors are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Ogden, Utah and play their home games at Lindquist Field. Pitche ...

. De León returned to Ogden to start the 2014 season. After recording a 2.65

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) and 77

strikeouts In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

in innings, he was promoted to the

Great Lakes Loons The Great Lakes Loons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Midland, Michigan, and play their home games at Dow Diamond, which opened in April 2007. Histor ...

. In his second start with the Loons, De León had 14 strikeouts, breaking

Clayton Kershaw Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) . He has played for the Dodgers for the entirety of his MLB career. A left-handed starting p ...

's team record of 12 set in 2007. In four starts with Great Lakes, he had a 1.19 ERA with 42 strikeouts in innings. After the season, he was named the Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year, for his performance that season with Ogden. De León was assigned to the

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and play their home games at LoanMart Field. The franc ...

of the

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leag ...

to start the 2015 season. In seven starts for the Quakes he was 4–1 with a 1.67 ERA and he was promoted to the AA

Tulsa Drillers The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club. Stadium The Drillers play at ONEOK Field (pronounc ...

of the

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

on May 18. He was selected to the California League mid-season all-star team but was unable to participate because of his promotion to AA. He was selected as a second team

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

minor league all-star after the season. He had a 2–6 record in AA with a 3.64 ERA and 105 strikeouts. He was given a non-roster invitation to Dodgers spring training. In 2016, he spent the season in AAA with the

Oklahoma City Dodgers The Oklahoma City Dodgers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their home games at Chickasaw Bricktown Bal ...

, where he was 7–1 with a 2.61 ERA in 16 starts. He also struck out 111 batters against only 20 walks. De León had his contract purchased by the Dodgers and was called up to the majors on September 3, 2016, making his debut as the starting pitcher for the Dodgers against the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

on September 4. He allowed four runs in six innings in his debut to pick up the win. His nine strikeouts (with no walks) was the second most by a Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher in his debut, trailing only

Pedro Astacio Pedro Julio Astacio (born November 28, 1968) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1992–1997), Colorado Rockies (1997–2001), Houston Astros (2001), New York Mets (2002–2003), Boston Red Sox (20 ...

and

Kazuhisa Ishii Kazuhisa Ishii (石井一久 ''Ishii Kazuhisa'') (born September 9, 1973) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher and current manager and general manager for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He pl ...

. In four starts for the Dodgers he was 2–0 with a 6.35 ERA.

Tampa Bay Rays

On January 23, 2017, the Dodgers traded De León to the

in exchange for second baseman

Logan Forsythe John Logan Forsythe (born January 14, 1987) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Miami ...

. De León started the 2017 season ranked as the Rays' third best prospect and 28th overall by MLB Pipeline. He opened the season on the minor league disabled list due to discomfort in the flexor mass muscle in the forearm, which is often a precursor to

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...

. On May 29, De León got his first call-up by the Rays due to a depleted bullpen from a 15 inning victory against the

the day before. In his Rays debut, he allowed three runs on four hits, two walks, and two strikeouts in 2 innings pitched, and took the win. He was sent back down the next day. On June 9, De León was put on the minor league disabled list with a mild lat strain. On August 14, De León was placed on the minor league disabled list for the third time in 2017, this time with elbow tendinitis. De León was diagnosed with a torn

ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL), may refer to: * Ulnar carpal collateral ligament * Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspec ...

on March 7, 2018. One week later,

Dr. James Andrews James Andrews (born May 2, 1942) is an American orthopedic surgeon. He is a surgeon for knee, elbow, and shoulder injuries and is a specialist in repairing damaged ligaments. Practicing in Gulf Breeze, Florida, Andrews has become one of the best ...

successfully performed Tommy John surgery, ending De León's 2018 season. De León returned to game action in May 2019. He returned to the Rays active roster on August 14.

Cincinnati Reds

On November 20, 2019, the Rays traded De León to the

in exchange for cash considerations or a

player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...

. In 2020 for Cincinnati, De León registered an 18.00 ERA with 10 strikeouts in six innings of work across five appearances. De León posted a 4.63 ERA in 12 games for the Triple-A

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, win ...

, but struggled to an 8.35 ERA in 9 games with Cincinnati before being designated for assignment on July 19, 2021. De León was released by the Reds organization on July 23.

Boston Red Sox

On August 4, 2021, De León agreed to a minor league deal with the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

; he was assigned to the

Worcester Red Sox The Worcester Red Sox (nicknamed the WooSox) are a professional minor league baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Beginning play in 2021, the team is the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, succeeding the Pawt ...

. He became a free agent at the end of the season.

Toronto Blue Jays

On November 29, 2021, De Leon signed a minor league contract with the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

, and received an invitation to spring training. He elected free agency on November 10, 2022.

Minnesota Twins

On December 13, 2022, De León signed a minor league contract with the

International career

During the

2023 World Baseball Classic The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), an international professional baseball tournament, is set to be the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. It was originally set for 2021 (as per tradition to hold the event every four years), but wa ...

(WBC), De León pitched for the Puerto Rico national team. On March 13, 2023, he started versus

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

and retired every batter faced over innings, including a WBC-record 10 strikeouts, to exit with an ongoing

perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...

. Yacksel Ríos,

Edwin Díaz Edwin Orlando Díaz Laboy (born March 22, 1994) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Seattle Mariners. Within two months of his MLB debut, Díaz brok ...

, and

Duane Underwood Jr. Duane Lee Underwood Jr. (born July 20, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs. Career Amateur career Underwood attended A ...

each relieved De León and retired every batter faced, and

Martín Maldonado Martín Benjamín Maldonado Valdés (born August 16, 1986) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball catcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels, K ...

caught on the way to a 10–0 win. The contest ended when Maldonado scored on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the eighth inning that invoked the tournament's

mercy rule A mercy rule, slaughter rule, knockout rule, or skunk rule ends a two-competitor sports competition earlier than the scheduled endpoint if one competitor has a very large and presumably insurmountable scoring lead over the other. It is called th ...

. However, it did not qualify as an official perfect game per the

Elias Sports Bureau The Elias Sports Bureau is a privately held company providing historical and current statistical information for the major professional sports leagues operating in the United States and Canada. Elias is the official statistician for Major League Ba ...

, due to lasting fewer than nine innings.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:De Leon, Jose 1992 births Living people People from Isabela, Puerto Rico Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico Major League Baseball pitchers 2017 World Baseball Classic players 2023 World Baseball Classic players Los Angeles Dodgers players Tampa Bay Rays players Cincinnati Reds players Southern Jaguars baseball players Arizona League Dodgers players Ogden Raptors players Criollos de Caguas players Great Lakes Loons players Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players Tulsa Drillers players Oklahoma City Dodgers players Gulf Coast Rays players Charlotte Stone Crabs players Durham Bulls players Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente pitchers Louisville Bats players Florida Complex League Red Sox players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players