Biographical

Portrait of Mike Leake

Mike Leake PD-backs

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2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 31)
IP ERA WHIP SO W L SV WARP
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Birth Date11-12-1987
Height5' 10"
Weight165 lbs
Age36 years, 5 months, 13 days
BatsR
ThrowsR
3.62015
3.92016
3.12017
1.82018
1.02019
proj
WARP Summary

MLB Statistics

Historical (past-seasons) WARP is now based on DRA..
cFIP and DRA are not available on a by-team basis and display as zeroes(0). See TOT line for season totals of these stats.
Multiple stints are are currently shown —Click to hide.
YEAR Team Lg G GS IP W L SV H BB SO HR PPF H/9 BB/9 HR/9 K/9 GB% BABIP WHIP FIP ERA cFIP DRA DRA- WARP
2010 CIN MLB 24 22 138.3 8 4 0 158 49 91 19 97 10.3 3.2 1.2 5.9 0% .314 1.50 4.69 4.23 106 4.87 110.1 0.6
2011 CIN MLB 29 26 167.7 12 9 0 159 38 118 23 103 8.5 2.0 1.2 6.3 0% .269 1.17 4.18 3.86 103 4.21 97.8 1.7
2012 CIN MLB 30 30 179.0 8 9 0 201 41 116 26 99 10.1 2.1 1.3 5.8 0% .306 1.35 4.46 4.58 102 4.34 99.5 1.7
2013 CIN MLB 31 31 192.3 14 7 0 193 48 122 21 101 9.0 2.2 1.0 5.7 0% .285 1.25 4.01 3.37 103 3.84 92.0 2.6
2014 CIN MLB 33 33 214.3 11 13 0 217 50 164 23 99 9.1 2.1 1.0 6.9 0% .298 1.25 3.85 3.70 97 3.28 80.3 4.1
2015 CIN 0 21 21 136.7 9 5 0 123 34 90 14 90 8.1 2.2 0.9 5.9 0% .262 1.15 3.96 3.56 101 3.40 79.3 2.7
2015 SFN 0 9 9 55.3 2 5 0 51 15 29 8 91 8.3 2.4 1.3 4.7 0% .254 1.19 4.85 4.07 107 3.78 88.3 0.9
2016 SLN MLB 30 30 176.7 9 12 0 203 30 125 20 90 10.3 1.5 1.0 6.4 55% .318 1.32 3.86 4.69 88 3.43 75.8 3.9
2017 SEA 0 5 5 32.0 3 1 0 32 2 27 1 103 9.0 0.6 0.3 7.6 51% .323 1.06 2.23 2.53 95 3.64 77.4 0.7
2017 SLN 0 26 26 154.0 7 12 0 169 35 103 19 94 9.9 2.0 1.1 6.0 55% .306 1.32 4.26 4.21 94 4.20 89.3 2.4
2018 SEA MLB 31 31 185.7 10 10 0 207 34 119 23 96 10.0 1.6 1.1 5.8 50% .306 1.30 4.17 4.36 94 4.46 99.6 1.8
2019 ARI 0 10 10 60.0 3 3 0 74 8 27 15 98 11.1 1.2 2.3 4.1 46% .291 1.37 6.21 4.35 135 9.04 184.9 -2.1
2019 SEA 0 22 22 137.0 9 8 0 153 19 100 26 97 10.1 1.2 1.7 6.6 48% .297 1.26 4.75 4.27 108 5.87 120.8 -0.2
2015 TOT MLB 30 30 192.0 11 10 0 174 49 119 22 91 8.2 2.3 1.0 5.6 0% .000 1.16 4.22 3.70 103 3.51 81.9 3.6
2017 TOT MLB 31 31 186.0 10 13 0 201 37 130 20 96 9.7 1.8 1.0 6.3 55% .309 1.28 3.91 3.92 94 4.10 87.3 3.1
2019 TOT MLB 32 32 197.0 12 11 0 227 27 127 41 98 10.4 1.2 1.9 5.8 47% .295 1.29 5.20 4.29 116 6.84 140.4 -2.3
CareerMLB3012961829.010598019404031231238979.52.01.26.151%.3001.284.244.051014.2796.220.9

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.
YEAR Team Lg LG G GS IP W L SV H BB SO HR PPF H/9 BB/9 HR/9 K/9 GB% BABIP WHIP FIP ERA cFIP DRA DRA-
2009 PES Wnt AFL 6 5 19.7 1 2 0 20 3 15 0 9.1 1.4 0.0 6.9 0% .317 1.17 3.32 1.37 0 0.00 0.0
2010 CIN MLB NL 24 22 138.3 8 4 0 158 49 91 19 97 10.3 3.2 1.2 5.9 0% .314 1.50 4.69 4.23 106 4.87 110.1
2011 CIN MLB NL 29 26 167.7 12 9 0 159 38 118 23 103 8.5 2.0 1.2 6.3 0% .269 1.17 4.18 3.86 103 4.21 97.8
2011 LOU AAA INT 2 1 7.3 0 1 0 12 0 5 3 96 14.7 0.0 3.7 6.1 0% .333 1.64 7.19 9.82 114 5.84 119.3
2012 CIN MLB NL 30 30 179.0 8 9 0 201 41 116 26 99 10.1 2.1 1.3 5.8 0% .306 1.35 4.46 4.58 102 4.34 99.5
2013 CIN MLB NL 31 31 192.3 14 7 0 193 48 122 21 101 9.0 2.2 1.0 5.7 0% .285 1.25 4.01 3.37 103 3.84 92.0
2014 CIN MLB NL 33 33 214.3 11 13 0 217 50 164 23 99 9.1 2.1 1.0 6.9 0% .298 1.25 3.85 3.70 97 3.28 80.3
2015 CIN MLB NL 21 21 136.7 9 5 0 123 34 90 14 90 8.1 2.2 0.9 5.9 0% .262 1.15 3.96 3.56 101 3.40 79.3
2015 SFN MLB NL 9 9 55.3 2 5 0 51 15 29 8 91 8.3 2.4 1.3 4.7 0% .254 1.19 4.85 4.07 107 3.78 88.3
2016 SLN MLB NL 30 30 176.7 9 12 0 203 30 125 20 90 10.3 1.5 1.0 6.4 55% .318 1.32 3.86 4.69 88 3.43 75.8
2017 SEA MLB AL 5 5 32.0 3 1 0 32 2 27 1 103 9.0 0.6 0.3 7.6 51% .323 1.06 2.23 2.53 95 3.64 77.4
2017 SLN MLB NL 26 26 154.0 7 12 0 169 35 103 19 94 9.9 2.0 1.1 6.0 55% .306 1.32 4.26 4.21 94 4.20 89.3
2018 SEA MLB AL 31 31 185.7 10 10 0 207 34 119 23 96 10.0 1.6 1.1 5.8 50% .306 1.30 4.17 4.36 94 4.46 99.6
2019 ARI MLB NL 10 10 60.0 3 3 0 74 8 27 15 98 11.1 1.2 2.3 4.1 46% .291 1.37 6.21 4.35 135 9.04 184.9
2019 SEA MLB AL 22 22 137.0 9 8 0 153 19 100 26 97 10.1 1.2 1.7 6.6 48% .297 1.26 4.75 4.27 108 5.87 120.8

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr%
2010 2105 0.4703 0.4247 0.8031 0.5919 0.2762 0.8993 0.6201 0.1969
2011 2536 0.4961 0.4503 0.8126 0.6113 0.2919 0.8934 0.6461 0.1874
2012 2697 0.4753 0.4431 0.8335 0.6053 0.2961 0.9072 0.6969 0.1665
2013 2893 0.4781 0.4480 0.8310 0.5994 0.3093 0.9059 0.6981 0.1690
2014 3112 0.4878 0.4444 0.8236 0.6034 0.2930 0.8985 0.6767 0.1764
2015 2733 0.4819 0.4610 0.8516 0.6188 0.3143 0.9288 0.7101 0.1484
2016 2645 0.4994 0.4696 0.8374 0.6283 0.3112 0.9193 0.6723 0.1626
2017 2735 0.4739 0.4728 0.8167 0.6397 0.3224 0.8999 0.6681 0.1833
2018 2796 0.5118 0.4961 0.8327 0.6422 0.3429 0.9021 0.6966 0.1673
2019 2958 0.5057 0.5014 0.8166 0.6424 0.3570 0.8970 0.6686 0.1834
Career272100.48850.46220.82640.61890.31260.90510.67700.1736

Injury History  —  No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On Date Off Transaction Days Games Side Body Part Injury Severity Surgery Date Reaggravation
2014-03-01 2014-03-07 Camp 6 0 - Abdomen Strain - -
2012-06-13 2012-06-14 DTD 1 1 - General Medical Illness - -
2010-08-25 2010-09-10 15-DL 16 14 Right Shoulder Fatigue -

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2021 SEA $5,000,000
2020 ARI $6,000,000
2020 SEA $5,000,000
2020 SLN $4,000,000
2019 SLN $5,000,000
2019 SEA $11,000,000
2018 SLN $6,000,000
2018 SEA $11,000,000
2017 SLN $15,000,000
2016 SLN $12,000,000
2015 CIN $9,775,000
2014 CIN $5,925,000
2013 CIN $3,060,000
2012 CIN $507,500
2011 CIN $425,000
YearsDescriptionSalary
11 yrPrevious$99,692,500
11 yrTotal$99,692,500

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status
10 y 0 dDan Horwits5 years/$80M (2016-20), 2021 option

Details
  • 5 years/$80M (2016-20), plus 2021 mutual option. Signed by St. Louis as a free agent 12/22/15. 16:$12M, 17:$15M, 18:$17M, 19:$16M, 20:$15M, 21:$18M mutual option ($5M buyout). Full no-trade protection. Acquired by Seattle in trade from St. Louis 8/30/17, with $55,622,950 remaining on contract (Cardinals to pay Mariners $2.5M in 2017, $6M in 2018, $5M in 2019, $4M in 2020.) Acquired by Arizona in trade from Seattle 7/31/19 with $25,161,290 remaining on contract. As part of the deal, Seattle pays Arizona $18,982,258, including $4,982,258 on 9/1/19, $9M in 2020 (four installments of $2.25M each on 4/15, 6/1, 7/15 and 9/1) and $5M on 1/15/21 to cover the 2021 buyout.
  • 1 year/$9.775M (2015). Re-signed by Cincinnati 1/16/15 (avoided arbitration). Acquired by San Francisco in trade from Cincinnati 7/30/15 with $3,525,409 remaining on contract.
  • 1 year/$5.925M (2014). Re-signed by Cincinnati 1/17/14 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$3.06M (2013). Re-signed by Cincinnati 2/6/13 (avoided arbitration, $3.5M-$2.65M). Performance bonus: $25,000 for 180 innings pitched.
  • 1 year/$507,500 (2012). Re-signed by Cincinnati 2/12.
  • 1 year/$425,000 (2011). Re-signed by Cincinnati 3/11.
  • 1 year (2010). Contract purchased by Cincinnati 4/11/10.
  • Drafted by Cincinnati 2009 (1-8) (Arizona State). $2.27M signing bonus.

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT W L SV G GS IP H BB SO HR BABIP WHIP ERA DRA VORP WARP
Weighted Mean?????0.0?00?.0000.000.00?0.00.0

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BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

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BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2019-11-26 14:00:00 (link to chat)With Dipoto reportedly shopping Omar Narvaez, does it make sense to check team's interest in Marco Gonzales? He is equally very unsexy and very valuable. But throwing 89mph, He isn't exactly an arm I'd want to bet on being good when the Mariners are good again. A good reliable guy for the Angels maybe in exchange for a Marsh/Adams led package?
(Paul from Providence)		One of the Mariners' problems in 2019 was running up against the limits of the assumption that having a guy be able to run out there every five days is enough. Now, Gonzales wasn't as bad as Yusei Kikuchi or Mike Leake, but I don't think it's especially likely we see him moved for much of significance—that 4.00 ERA across the last two seasons looks worse when you remember it's been half in Safeco/T-Mobile. If someone picks up Gonzales I doubt it'll be for a top-10 prospect in their system. (Free Agent Chat w/Ginny Searle)
2019-08-06 12:00:00 (link to chat)Does Mike Leake fit into the plans for the Diamondbacks? Do the Diamondbacks really even have a plan?
(Ron from Texarkana)		Somebody has to pitch the innings, and one thing Mike Leake can give you is innings. I'd rather rebuilding teams do this then cycle through endless soft 4 Triple-A arms. (Jeffrey Paternostro)
2017-09-12 23:00:00 (link to chat)What do you do if you're Jerry DiPoto with the pitching staff this winter? And is 2017 Mike Zunino (currently 13th in BP WARP) peak Mike Zunino?
(Roger DeSwanns from Out and About)		Can we take a moment to appreciate the 2017 Mariners pitching situation? The club has used 40 guys. 40. 4. 0. I watched so much Yovani Gallardo and Sam Gaviglio and (checks sheet)... Christian Bergman. My Christmas family party trick is going to be memorizing all 40 pitchers and reciting them in order of first use, which I imagine will mean I'll be able to sit in the corner and drink an eggnog alone the whole time. So if you're Dipoto, and you're using your holiday the same way, I assume you pencil in Paxton, Felix, Mike Leake, Erasmo Rameriez, then (mumbles mumbles). Gotta imagine they'll try to get some cheap back end guys and throw them in with Marco Gonzales and Ariel Miranda and see where they end up. Unless they make a move for Ohtani...

Now, on to Mike Zunino. I think that offensively, this is peak Zunino. Maybe he adds a bit more in average. He probably hits more home runs over a full season. The approach looks solid now. NO REALLY IT DOES. But this is a productive major leaguer and that's a huge win for him and the org. The thing I'm hoping rebounds in 2018 is the defense. His framing is starting to come back, after being awful in the beginning. If we see a real jump forward in value, it's marrying the offensive improvements with defense approaching what we saw in 2014. But honestly, given the journey, this version of him is a pretty neat thing. (Megan Rowley)
2017-05-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)George,need to move one in a one year league ,h2h,12 team A.Wood,I.Kennedy,R.Ray,M.Leake, W,k,k/9,whip,Era Thank you
(Chesty from New Bern,NC)		I have an irrational attachment to Alex Wood and Mike Leake, but it's probably Wood. (George Bissell)
2016-04-12 18:00:00 (link to chat)Hi Chris, What do you think the chances are that Cody Reed has a better career than Mike Leake?
(Lark from Wisconsin)		45 percent. Leake has had a good career. Reed has more upside, but, pitching is hard. Baseball is hard. (Christopher Crawford)
2016-03-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)It seems like the Cardinals have had a terrible last few months; lose to the Cubs, top prospect suspended 80 games, Molina and Peralta go down with major thumb injuries, and the only free agent that took their money was Mike Leake, while Lackey and Heyward go to the Cubs. Am I right that this is not going well for the Redbirds?
(Nude Pablo Sandoval from Boston)		That's a bad username. I'm tempted to not answer your question, but it is an easy one. Yeah, things are looking dark in St. Louis. That means that Adam Wainwright will win 22 games and Greg Garcia will turn into Brandon Crawford. (Bryan Grosnick)
2015-10-22 14:00:00 (link to chat)Which pitcher and position player do you think will get overpaid this off-season? And who do you think could end up being a steal for the team that signs them?
(Josh from Chicago)		Pitcher, overpaid: Mike Leake. Could fall right into that four-year, $50-million sour spot for FA SP, alongisde Edwin Jackson, Ervin Santana, Ricky Nolasco, Ubaldo, Brandon McCarthy.
Pos. player, overpaid: Cespedes.

P, underpaid: I dunno. Brett Anderson maybe.
Pos., underpaid: Dexter Fowler. QO will hurt him, not being a good defender in center will hurt him, but OBP is life and he's got it. (Matthew Trueblood)
2015-07-28 18:00:00 (link to chat)Wouldn't going after Dan Haren make sense for the Royals? He shouldn't cost much and his flyball tendencies would be a good fit. Adding Cueto is good...but that rotation is still weak.
(Matt from Cambridge)		It's amazing what the Royal's outfield defense has done for that staff again. I agree that they likely need to go get one more arm but I'm unsure that Haren is it. I would check on Mike Leake or someone in that tier. (Mauricio Rubio)
2015-07-30 13:00:00 (link to chat)Do you expect any major moves from the Yankees by tomorrow?
(Alex from Anaheim)		Depends on what you consider major. I think they probably bring someone in to help support the roster, but I don't think there are too many major moves out there really. Someone on twitter suggested Mike Leake could be a fit. He wouldn't cost them top prospects, so that'd be a fit for Cashman's unwillingness to move his top prospects right now. (Jeff Long)
2015-01-20 19:30:00 (link to chat)Thanks to the internet I no longer know how to value Mookie Betts- I've seen his name being traded for names ranging from Mike Leake to Chris Sale, and everything in between. Can he be the main piece to get Strasburg or does Blake Swihart have to be included in too?
(Shawn from Cubicle)		He's way too good to be dealt for Mike Leake and Chris Sale probably isn't getting moved. I'd imagine Strasburg would require a deal starting with Betts and Swihart, but this offseason has proven once again that I know nothing about trades. As a Sox fan, I hope he isn't dealt now that Stanton is off the table. (Ben Carsley)
2014-09-10 12:00:00 (link to chat)SP Aaron Nola seems to me to be low to mid rotation starter ala Mike Leake, is that fair or is there more upside?
(Phillyguy from Iowa)		I think that is fair. Nola is a major league pitcher, no doubt about it. However, he realistic role is more of that caliber.

I do think it is important to note that he logged a ton of innings this year, and he was still able to hold his ground at AA. He's a very talented pitcher, and I think we may be underselling him at times. I loved this selection for the Phillies. Excellent pickup for them. (Tucker Blair)
2014-09-03 14:00:00 (link to chat)Aaron Nola seems to be pretty much a Mike Leake style pitcher solid but never will be great. Agree or disagree?
(mdotmorris22 from Minnesota)		Nola could miss more bats than Leake, and I believe his ceiling is a bit higher. He's got plenty of pitchability, funk, and gall. I'm a big fan, and he should be in the Phillies rotation in '15. (Jordan Gorosh)
2014-08-08 13:00:00 (link to chat)20 team dynasty league, here are my pitchers: Chris Sale, Sonny Gray, Homey Bailey, Jake Arietta, Jason deGrom, and Mike Leake, with Kimbrel, Doolittle, for saves and a few guys for holds. In a 20 team league, would that be a solid staff? And also, I kinda want to upgrade and have the offensive pieces to do so. If I paired one of those guys with a bat to upgrade, who would you try to sell? Thanks!
(treynay3 from Gatlinburg)		Yeah that's a solid staff though it gets shaky on the back end. I'd move a Bailey/Leake or deGrom for an upgrade. (Craig Goldstein)
2014-06-09 12:00:00 (link to chat)Slapping a Mike Leake comp on Nola doesn't scream top 10 pick to me. I understand he was considered the "safest" pick, but his profile most likely puts him at the back-end of a rotation. Reminds me of Dillon Gee.
(Ace from PA)		Nola is better than Leake at the same stage. I don't really see the comp at all except for the fact that Leake also through his fastball with a lot of life and good command. Nola has better deception and I like the secondaries more. (Draft Wrap Chat with Nick J. Faleris)
2014-02-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)Who/what do you think represent's Mike Leake's short and long term ceiling?
(Bbbill from Cincinnati)		I think he himself does. He's ranged over a run in ERA the last two years. All about limiting damage of homers. (Paul Sporer)
2013-08-08 17:30:00 (link to chat)Mike how would you rank the following(Please not just the way you have them)Parker,Haren,Nova,Leake,,and Tyson Ross.Thanks
(Chesty from New Bern,NC)		I would go Ivan Nova, Mike Leake, Jarrod Parker, Tyson Ross, and Dan Haren for this year. Nova might not be the best of the bunch, but I feel like you have to ride the streak. Leake is "due" to slip, but isn't that bad. Parker is a little too HR prone for my taste. Ross might actually be better, but I'd like to see more before ranking him higher. I don't trust Haren right now. Flashes of brilliance, but the HR tendencies tell me to lay off. (Mike Gianella)
2013-07-16 13:00:00 (link to chat)In 10 team mixed league, 5x5, should I pick up Jeremy Hellickson and drop Mike Leake? Also does your wife know the password to your phone? If not, does she ask you what are you hiding like mine does?
(Turtle from Lake Flourish)		In a 10 team mixed league 5 x 5 you should not ever have a pitcher like Hellickson or Leake clogging up your roster.

My phone doesn't have a password. My phone is the most mockable phone. My phone probably has Snake on it. (Sam Miller)
2013-07-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)What do you make of Mike Leake's performance thus far? I've kinda been waiting for him to blow up but he seems to be holding strong. Thanks Zach!
(Roger from Cincinnati)		He's not this, but he came up awfully fast, and if there were a few years of learning on the job, I wouldn't begrudge him that. Don't walk people and there's always a chance good things can happen. One walk every five innings for Leake, best in his career, and if you're ever going to live as a low strikeout pitcher, that has to be part of the arrangement. (Zachary Levine)
2013-05-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)Please tell me Tony Cingrani isn't getting sent down when Cueto comes back.
(Britt from Cincinnati)		That seems unlikely with the way he's pitching right now, but we'll see if he keeps it up and how Mike Leake does in the interim. (Paul Sporer)
2013-03-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)Harry... welcome to your inaugural chat! Who are three hitters and three pitchers you expect to breakout this year (or really build on last year's performance).
(Sexy Rexy from New York)		that's a tough question, I haven't prepped for my fantasy drafts yet....Samardzija and Matusz where my picks last year, and I was 1 for 2. I think both will progress again. Mike Leake is this year's new pick. I'm hearing good stuff about Max Scherzer FWIW. At the plate, wow, let's see. Starlin Castro although I may be biased is one. Cespedes could be a superstar this year. (Harry Pavlidis)
2013-03-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)Does Mike Leake slide back into the Reds rotation now or is there someone else to what for?
(Tommy from Vermolusca)		Seems like that's the plan, though a potentially greater concern is that the Reds lack a proven sixth starter. Tony Cingrani and Daniel Corcino have upside, but I'm not sure either of them would be ready to approximate the performance the Reds are expecting from their other starters. (Daniel Rathman)
2012-12-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)Thanks for the chat today. Anyway the Reds could package a deal starting with Drew Stubbs and Homer Bailey / Mike Leake for something involving either Dexter Fowler or Jacoby Ellsbury? If not, what else would they need to include?
(Tommy from Flowmont)		I know that Fowler and Ellsbury have both been dangled, but I'm not sure what kind of return each team is looking for. Personally I'm not a Fowler fan -- his approach at the plate is a total disaster, and he either hasn't been able or willing to make adjustments. Still not sure what kind of player Ellsbury is long-term, so if I'm a GM, i'm reticent to make a move for him.

Also, I still believe in Stubbs and wouldn't necessarily want to sell low on him. I always worry about trading big-league starters, too. You can never have enough pitching! (Ian Miller)
2012-06-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)Which baseball player do you think is most likely to have a Duke Silver like hidden life as playing Trumpet for a Roots Reggae outfit? My vote's Zach Cosart.
(Mike from Miami)		Could be any of those Reds guys. I bet Mike Leake and Mat Latos go busking with Bronson Arroyo after games. (Ian Miller)
2012-05-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)Do you know what's going on with Mike Leake this season? While I didn't expect him to a world beater, I also didn't anticipate him pitching like Royals starter either.
(LoyalRoyal from Kansas)		I, too, expected more. He's just too hittable and he doesn't have great stuff to counteract it. He needs to improve his command. He isn't wild and out of the zone, but he's actually in the zone too much and throwing meatballs. (Paul Sporer)
2012-02-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)PECOTA seems extremely down on Reds pitchers. 24 year old Mike Leake is projected to have a worse year than either of his previous (and only) 2. The skill and performance changes we've seen from 26 year old Johnny Cueto are projected to disappear. Same with Sam LeCure. There just seems to be a massive regression across the board. I'm wary of simply being a homer and wearing rose color glasses, but this seems "off", even accounting for reasonable levels of regression based on performance of year's past and to the mean. What am I missing?
(Rick from Chicago)		Leake is a guy whose outpitched his FIP for two straight seasons. One season he did this by having a really low BABIP, another season he did this by giving up unearned runs at twice the league average. PECOTA doesn't just look at what a guy's done, but how he's done it - some things carry with them a higher predictive value than others, and so Leake's ERAs are maybe not the best reflection of the underlying skills he has. (Colin Wyers)
2011-11-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)It's November 15th, who are your early sleepers/late round picks you're excited about drafting this year?
(yetti from up north)		It is still very early, and off-season movement and additional research will alter this list, but off the top of my head, I like Chris Capuano, Omar Infate, Mike Leake, and Ike Davis late, in addition, I'm sure, to many others. (Derek Carty)
2011-06-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)Thanks for the chat, Derek. Do you think Mike Leake is worth trading a solid pitching prospect like Christian Friedrich for in a dynasty league? (The only pitching categories are IP and runs allowed.) How do you think Leake will fare the next few years?
(DS from LA)		It depends a bit on the specifics of your league and how keeping players works. Also, how risk-averse you are. In a vacuum, I'm probably doing that deal. I like Leake a lot, even if he'll likely never be a true ace. Still, I really like his stuff and what he brings to the table. He's a guy who will strikeout an above average number of batters with good control and lots of groundballs. Think maybe a Brandon Webb (in terms of final numbers, not necessarily stuff) with fewer groundballs, so maybe a mid-3.00s ERA instead of a low-3.00s ERA. That's valuable, and probably something I would trade a guy like Friedrich for. He's far from a sure thing. (Derek Carty)
2010-12-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez, Homer Bailey, Travis Wood, Mike Leake, Matt Maloney, Sam LeCure, Aroldis Chapman. That's 9 guys for 5 rotation spots in Cincinnati. How can Jocketty best capitalize on that depth?
(RMR from Chicago)		A few of the brighter bulbs 'round these parts (where there isn't much call for cheddar, by the way)have made a few suggestions. IIRC, SG recommended they trade Volquez, while CK opted for shipping out Maloney, I think. Me, I'd find out what sort of a market there is for Mike Leake -- maybe he's already at his peak trade value. It's really, really hard to predict trades that actually get made, because you almost always look like you're way over- or under-valuing someone in retrospect. That being said, sitting on all that pitching is like sitting on a pot of gold, and Jocketty is sure to be a very popular man next week. (Ken Funck)
2010-10-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)Agreed with your Cincy rotation. But wither Mike Leake? AAA rotation or relief? Personally, I'd like to see Volquez in short relief given his inability to sustain command.
(RMR from Chicago)		I think Leake's the guy who loses initially because the others are that good, but who comes up once the inevitable injury strikes. Although when you consider the sheer amount of rotation depth, plus a smattering of useful prospects at positions where KC has needs, leveraging all that stuff to get in on Zack Greinke would probably be the best non-market solution for how to remain atop the NL Central that Sir Walter could go for. (Christina Kahrl)
2010-06-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)Dynasty league question: Would you rather have Aroldis Chapman or Mike Leake over the next six years?
(Dennis from LA)		Chapman for upside. I think Leake is basically Tim Hudson. He's really good and really polished already, but how much better do you think a groundball guy without a true out pitch is going to get? If you want the safer pick, Leake is a great one, but he's up now because he's basically a finished product. (Marc Normandin)
2010-05-28 14:00:00 (link to chat)Thank you for the chat, Kevin. How do you like Aroldis Chapman so far, and what do you see him ultimately becoming? Do you like him more than Mike Leake?
(Dennis from LA)		Chapman's ceiling is certainly higher than Leake, but obviously there's some risk there. Very different guys. It's a savings bond vs. tech stock situation. (Kevin Goldstein)
2010-04-28 13:00:00 (link to chat)Thoughts on the Reds choice to bring Mike Leake directly to the majors after just a stint in the AFL? How do you think the move was perceived throughout baseball?
(RMR from Chicago)		I was surprised, but he made more sense than Chapman, even if the latter has a higher ceiling. Leake earned high marks for poise and maturity coming out of college and those are important factors. What happens north of the shoulders is especially important for a young pitcher and Leake hasn't yet sprung one mentally (as far as I know) so the aggressive assignment seems reasonable. (David Laurila)


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PITCHf/x Pitcher Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC


Although he has not thrown an MLB pitch in 2024, Mike Leake threw 27,396 pitches that were tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2010 and 2019, all of them occuring in Spring Training. In 2019, he relied primarily on his Cutter (87mph), Sinker (88mph) and Change (84mph), also mixing in a Slider (80mph) and Fourseam Fastball (89mph). He also rarely threw a Curve (79mph).