Wade LeBlanc
Encyclopedia
Wade Matthew LeBlanc is an American professional baseball
pitcher
for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball
.
in the 36th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft
, but instead decided to attend the University of Alabama
. He was then drafted by the San Diego Padres
in the second round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft
.
He posted a 5-1 record and a 3.02 ERA in 14 games, 10 starts, between Short-Season Eugene Emeralds
and the Class-A Fort Wayne TinCaps in . On June 29 against the Vancouver Canadians
he earned his first win in his professional debut, tossing one scoreless inning of relief. He was promoted to Fort Wayne on July 24. He tossed four scoreless innings, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out seven in his Wizards' debut on July 28. He won his final three starts from August 18 to September 2, giving up just two runs over 15 innings. He struck out a season-high eight batters over five scoreless innings on August 27.
, pitching in 26 games, 25 starts. He ranked second in the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts with 139 and tied for third in wins with 11.He was the third Portland pitcher and the first left-handed pitcher since the team returned to the PCL in to reach the 11-win mark. He won the PCL Pitcher of the Week award on two occasions.
He was called up to the Majors for the first time on September 1, . He made his Major League debut on September 3, but struggled, pitching four innings
, allowing four runs
on eight hits
, with one strikeout
.
He picked up first Major League win on September 15 against the Colorado Rockies
, yielding four runs over six innings with six strikeouts.
.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe 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 a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
2006-07: Draft and pro debut
LeBlanc was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil RaysTampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
in the 36th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft
2003 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2003 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 3 and 4. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.Source: -First round selections:...
, but instead decided to attend the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. He was then drafted by the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
in the second round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft
2006 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 6 and 7. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.-First Round Selections:...
.
He posted a 5-1 record and a 3.02 ERA in 14 games, 10 starts, between Short-Season Eugene Emeralds
Eugene Emeralds
The Eugene Emeralds is a minor league baseball team in Eugene, Oregon, United States. They are a short-season Class A team in the Northwest League, and have been a farm team of the San Diego Padres since 2001....
and the Class-A Fort Wayne TinCaps in . On June 29 against the Vancouver Canadians
Vancouver Canadians
The Vancouver Canadians are a minor league baseball team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canadians are the Northwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The C's have previously affiliated with the Oakland Athletics between 2000-2010. They are the only Canadian team in the...
he earned his first win in his professional debut, tossing one scoreless inning of relief. He was promoted to Fort Wayne on July 24. He tossed four scoreless innings, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out seven in his Wizards' debut on July 28. He won his final three starts from August 18 to September 2, giving up just two runs over 15 innings. He struck out a season-high eight batters over five scoreless innings on August 27.
2008 to 2011: Call-up and struggles
LeBlanc spent the majority of the season with the Triple-A Portland BeaversPortland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
, pitching in 26 games, 25 starts. He ranked second in the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts with 139 and tied for third in wins with 11.He was the third Portland pitcher and the first left-handed pitcher since the team returned to the PCL in to reach the 11-win mark. He won the PCL Pitcher of the Week award on two occasions.
He was called up to the Majors for the first time on September 1, . He made his Major League debut on September 3, but struggled, pitching four innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
, allowing four runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
on eight hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, with one strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
.
He picked up first Major League win on September 15 against the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, yielding four runs over six innings with six strikeouts.
Miami Marlins
On November 22, 2011, San Diego traded LeBlanc to the Miami Marlins for John BakerJohn Baker (baseball)
John David Baker is an American professional baseball catcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball.-Personal:...
.