Emmanuel De Leon

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2008
DSL:  0-0-0, 4.00 ERA, 1.89 WHIP, 9 IP, 8.0 BB/9, 13.0 K/9 

Saw limited action in his first DSL season.

2009
DSL:  2-4-0, 4.25 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 48.2 IP, 6.1 BB/9, 9.6 K/9

Started regularly in his second DSL season.  He fanned a lot of batters and opponents hit only .199 against him, but he struggled with his control.

2010
R:  1-0-0, 3.86 ERA, 2.29 WHIP, 7 IP, 6.4 BB/9, 12.9 K/9 

De Leon made the GCL roster, but didn’t pitch until a July 10 start in which he lasted only a third of an inning.  He returned in late August to make four appearances.

2011
A-:  2-2-5, 3.28 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 24.2 IP, 2.9 BB/9, 6.2 K/9 

De Leon moved up to State College and served part of the time as closer.  He made significant progress with his control, but his K rate dropped.

2012
A-:  1-1-2, 1.50 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 18.0 IP, 4.5 BB/9, 9.5 K/9
A:  1-5-4, 5.08 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 33.2 IP, 6.4 BB/9, 10.7 K/9
A+:  0-1-0, 13.50 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, 5.1 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 11.8 K/9 

De Leon was eligible for the Rule 5 draft in 2011 despite the fact that he’d thrown fewer than 90 innings as a pro, but wasn’t selected.  He was throwing 94-96 in training camp and the Pirates assigned him to West Virginia, where he opened the season as the closer.  Like most of the Power’s pitching staff, he struggled, mainly with his control.  The Pirates sent him to State College for the start of the Spikes’ season and he continued to pitch largely the same, although his ERA was much lower.  The Pirates sent him back to West Virginia at the beginning of August, then to Bradenton at the end of the month.  He had two bad outings there before throwing three shutout innings in his last game of the season.  At all three levels de Leon had very high K rates.

2013
A+:  3-2-4, 3.49 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 59.1 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 8.8 K/9

De Leon had a good year at Bradenton, without dominating.  He made significant progress with his control and still had a solid, but not outstanding, K rate.  He got hit a little more than you’d like to see for a guy with his stuff.  He missed most of April with an injury.  He had a strong finish, posting a 2.30 ERA in August, as well as his lowest monthly opponents’ average.  He may have started airing it out more, as he fanned 20 in 15.2 IP, but also walked 11 after walking very few before that.  He made two spot starts.

2014
AA:  1-2-3, 3.56 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 48.0 IP, 3.8 BB/9, 6.6 K/9

De Leon moved up to Altoona, but didn’t pitch well there.  He had a good ERA the first two months — 2.08 — but his WHIP was 1.58. He was helped by nearly half his runs being unearned.  He actually pitched a little better in June despite having a 4.38 ERA.  He then struggled in July, then went on the disabled list late in the month and didn’t return.

De Leon didn’t adapt well to AA, as he continues to have control issues and his stuff isn’t good enough for him to get by on it.  He’ll be eligible for minor league free agency in the off-season.