There were nights last year when all Luis De Leon could do was wipe tears from his face, another frustrating outing behind him and the sting of disappointment setting in.
The Orioles lefthander entered the 2024 season with promise, ranked as the organizationâ€s No. 14 prospect following a standout stateside debut a year earlier. He had shown impressive command of the strike zone and a well-rounded three-pitch mix that hinted at even greater potential. All signs pointed toward a breakout year.
Instead, the season unraveled in ways few could have foreseen.
De Leon lost the precise command that had once set him apart. His fastball, previously lively, flattened. His secondary offerings lost their sharpness. Starts that once ended in dominance stretched into long, punishing outings.
And as the results slipped, so, too, did his confidence.
“I cried almost every start,†De Leon told Baseball America in Spanish. “I lost so much confidence. I kept telling myself, ‘Why should I even pitch if itâ€s just going to go badly again?’”
What De Leon was facing wasnâ€t just a slump, but a crisis of identity. For most of his life, he had been the best player on the field. Now, for the first time, he found himself struggling—and doing so far from home.
But in the darkest moments, he leaned on a familiar voice—his motherâ€s.
“I used to call her crying all the time,†De Leon said. “She would remind me to trust in God, to remember what got me here and to keep pushing forward.â€
That unwavering support became his anchor.
“Thereâ€s no greater motivation for a baseball player than knowing your family is with you every step of the way,” De Leon said.
With that support to help guide him, De Leon has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround in 2025, including a strong second half that has him trending up heading into the offseason. Over his final six regular season starts spanning 36.2 innings, the 22-year-old posted a stellar 1.47 ERA and held opponents to a .163 batting average while striking out 59 and walking just 14.
Whatâ€s been particularly eye-catching is his dominance against lefthanded hitters. De Leon held lefties to a minuscule .117 average, racking up 41 strikeouts against only six walks—numbers that speak to his improved command and the effectiveness of his pitch mix.
That momentum has carried over into the Arizona Fall League, where De Leon is emerging as one of the circuitâ€s most effective arms. In his first two starts, he allowed just one run over 8.1 innings while striking out 12.
The strong showing has only reinforced the developmental strides he made late in the season. De Leon credits his success to incorporating his slider much more into his repertoire while also adding a splitter to his mix. He isnâ€t throwing the splitter as much as the slider, however, as heâ€s found it to be an effective pitch to keep hitters off balance when used sparingly.
“There are plenty of benefits to being out here,†De Leon said of his time in the AFL. “There are some really good batters here that have challenged me. The competition is really good. Iâ€m working on facing righthanded batters so I can control what they do against me.â€
That mindset—a blend of resilience, faith and daily growth—has become the foundation of De Leonâ€s resurgence. What could have been a lost year is now shaping into a turning point. After having everything he believed about himself tested, ultimately, it revealed what he needed most to move forward.
“Iâ€m just focused on making sure I can improve every day,†De Leon said. “I hope I can make it to the majors next year, but Iâ€m trying to maximize on all the opportunities presented to me.â€
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