Pitcher Mike Leake Cincinnati Reds top draft pick
Bypassing the Minors and Going Straight to the Major League. He is just the 21st player in baseball history to go from the amateur draft right to the major leagues. Pitcher Mike Leake was the Cincinnati Reds top draft pick last year and now is their top starter after the first month of the season. Leake is making the Reds decision to keep him with the big club look very smart.
Last year at this time, the 22 year old Leake was pitching for the Arizona State Sun Devils, posting 16 wins against 1 loss. That is one more loss than Leake has had so far with the Reds even though he is now facing batters with household names like Albert Pujols and Manny Ramirez. Leake has not seemed the slightest bit phased by the jump right to the majors and the people who follow him closely say they are most impressed by his poise. He doesn't have overpowering stuff like some other young pitchers but has very good control and locates his pitches well. The early comparisons are to a young Greg Maddox.
Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy writes on his blog for the Dayton Daily News that he continues to be impressed by the young right hander. In his final start in April against Houston, Leake gave up only 1 run and 5 hits in seven innings to record his second win in the majors. McCoy writes "What is doubly impressive about the 22-year-old rookie right-hander is that he is a ground ball machine - grounder after grounder after grounder. If there were any groundhogs in the Minute Maid infield, they’re dead now." Being a groundball pitcher will serve Leake and the Reds well at their own ballpark as well. Great American Ballpark is a hitter's park where routine fly balls become home runs.
What does Leake say about his success? Reporters who cover the Reds say he is very soft spoken and humble. After his last start he told the writers gathered around his locker, he credited the organization with his fast start, "there are always adjustments in baseball. These guys are helping me by bringing me along. It's making it a little easier on me. They're treating me with respect and guiding me along slowly but surely."
He has also earned the respect of his teamates and coaches. The Reds had a difficult choice coming out of spring training on whether to go with Leake ad the fifth starter or another rookie phenom from Cuba. Aroldis Chapman received the big contract and got most of the hype because of his 100 mile an hour fastball and was thought to have the inside edge but the Reds went with Leake because of his maturity and have not regretted it. Leake was the first starter for Cincinnati to get a win this season and has pitched the most innings. He is 2-0 with an ERA of 3.25. He has 18 strikeouts to 15 walks which is really the only knock on him because he has been a little wild and to his credit he has lowered the number of walks from 7 in his first start down to just 2 in his last one.
Give Leake some credit for how he has handled the bat as well. In the National League, there is no designated hitter so Leake has to hit in every game he pitches. So far this season he has been up ten times and has four singles giving him an average of .400 which just happens to be the second best batting average on the team.
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