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Pedro León (baseball)

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Pedro León
León in 2022 with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys
Houston Astros – No. 4
Outfielder
Born: (1998-05-28) May 28, 1998 (age 26)
La Habana, Cuba
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
August 3, 2024, for the Houston Astros
MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Batting average.100
Home runs0
Runs batted in0
Teams

Pedro Manuel León (born May 28, 1998) is a Cuban professional baseball outfielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for Huracanes de Mayabeque of the Cuban National Series before he defected from Cuba. He made his MLB debut in 2024.

Career

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León began his professional baseball career playing for the Huracanes de Mayabeque of the Cuban National Series. In the 2017–18 season, he batted .325 with four home runs, 14 runs batted in (RBI), and 15 runs in 22 games.[1] The following season, León hit .371 with 15 home runs, a 1.220 OPS and seven stolen bases in 33 games and played in the 2018 National Series All-Star Game.[2] Considered a top international prospect for the Major Leagues, León defected from Cuba to the Dominican Republic in 2019.[3]

León agreed to sign with the Houston Astros in February, 2020, and signed for a $4 million bonus on January 15, 2021.[4][5] León was a non-roster invitee to the Astros spring training in 2021.[6] León was reassigned to minor league camp after going 0–12 in six spring training games.[7] He was assigned to the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks prior to the start of the 2021 season and moved to the shortstop position.[8] In June 2021, León was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game.[9] He was promoted to the Triple-A Sugar Land Skeeters on July 19, 2021, after batting .249 with nine home runs and 33 RBI with Corpus Christi.[10]

León was named to the Astros' 2022 spring training roster as a non-roster invitee.[11] He was assigned to the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, where he spent the entire season. In 115 games with the team, León slashed .228/.365/.431 with 17 home runs, 63 RBI, and 38 stolen bases.

On January 20, 2023, it was announced that León had undergone sports hernia surgery. The recovery timetable was 6–8 weeks, causing León to miss major league Spring Training.[12] In a June 24 game against the Salt Lake Bees, León hit for the cycle. The feat became the first cycle in Space Cowboys history, as the team won the game 21–6.[13] In 128 games for Sugar Land in 2023, León slashed .244/.343/.435 with 21 home runs, 72 RBI, and 21 stolen bases.

León began the 2024 campaign back with Sugar Land, playing in 93 games and batting .297/.377/.519 with 19 home runs, 74 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. On July 30, 2024, he was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[14] He appeared in a total of seven games for the Astros in 2024, going 2-for-20, scored 2 runs, stole 2 bases, drew 1 walk and 10 strikeouts.[15]

León's 2024 regular season batting at Sugar Land culminated with .299/.372/.514/.886, 25 doubles, 24 home runs, 90 RBI, 29 stolen bases, 43 bases on balls, and 144 strikeouts over 118 games.[16] Named to the PCL Triple-A All-Star team,[17] he was also a member of Sugar Land's first-ever Triple-A championship team, defeating the Omaha Storm Chasers, 13–6.[18]

References

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  1. ^ Rapp, Timothy (February 6, 2020). "Pedro Leon Reportedly Expected to Sign $4M Astros Contract in July". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  2. ^ Sanchez, Brian (February 10, 2020). "Houston may have found its next Cuban star". MLB.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  3. ^ "Pedro Manuel León, joven prospecto del béisbol, abandona Cuba". periodicocubano.com (in Spanish). October 7, 2019. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  4. ^ "Sources: Astros expected to sign slugging Cuban OF Pedro Leon". ESPN.com. February 6, 2020. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  5. ^ McTaggart, Brian (January 15, 2021). "Cuban OF Leon among Astros' int'l signings". MLB.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  6. ^ Rome, Chandler (February 12, 2021). "Pedro Leon among non-roster invitees to Astros spring training". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  7. ^ "Astros' Pedro Leon: Reassigned to minor-league camp". CBS Sports. RotoWire. March 17, 2021. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  8. ^ Rome, Chandler (April 30, 2021). "Touted prospect Pedro Leon to start career with Astros' Class AA Corpus Christi Hooks". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  9. ^ Rome, Chandler (June 30, 2021). "Top prospect Pedro Leon lone representative for Astros at Futures Game". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  10. ^ Dubrof, Jeff (July 19, 2021). "Hooks star Pedro León called up to Triple-A". KRISTV.com. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  11. ^ Rome, Chandler (March 12, 2022). "Korey Lee, Pedro León, Hunter Brown among non-roster invitees to Astros spring camp". Houston Chronicle.
  12. ^ "Astros' Pedro Leon: Undergoes sports hernia surgery". cbssports.com. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  13. ^ "Houston Astros Prospect Makes Sugar Land History on Saturday Night". Sports Illustrated Inside the Astros. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  14. ^ Kawahara, Matt (2024-07-30). "Astros call up outfielder Pedro León for long-anticipated debut". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
  15. ^ "Pedro León stats, height, weight, position, rookie status & more". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  16. ^ "Pedro León Cuban, fall, minor, and winter league statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  17. ^ Avallone, Michael (October 2, 2024). "Here are the 2024 Triple-A All-Stars and award winners". MLB.com. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  18. ^ Malcom, Timothy (September 29, 2024). "Sugar Land Space Cowboys win Triple-A crown, capping outstanding season". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
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