Ben Leeper
American baseball player (born 1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Benjamin Kyle Leeper (born June 15, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.
| Ben Leeper | |
|---|---|
| Free agent | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: June 15, 1997 Bedford, Texas, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right |
Amateur career
Leeper attended Carroll Senior High School in Southlake, Texas.[1] In 2014, as a junior, he went 11–1 with a 0.90 ERA and 106 strikeouts.[2] He underwent Tommy John surgery during his senior year.[3] After graduating, he enrolled at Oklahoma State University where he played college baseball.
Leeper made two appearances as a freshman in 2016 before an arm injury that required a second Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss all of the 2017 season as well.[4] He returned to play in 2018, pitching 27+2⁄3 innings in which he compiled a 12.69 ERA.[5] In 2019, he moved into the closer role and pitched to a 4–4 record, a 4.31 ERA, and seven saves with 43 strikeouts over 31+1⁄3 innings.[6][7] That summer, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[8] He made six appearances in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]
Professional career
Unselected in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft, Leeper signed with the Chicago Cubs as an undrafted free agent on July 21, 2020.[10] Leeper made his professional debut in 2021 with the Tennessee Smokies of the Double-A South and was promoted to the Iowa Cubs of the Triple-A East in early June.[11] He was shut down in mid-August after pitching the most innings he had thrown since his junior year of high school.[12] Over 35 relief innings pitched between the two teams, Leeper went 4–3 with a 1.29 ERA and 53 strikeouts.[13] He was a non-roster invitee to spring training in 2022.[14] He returned to Iowa for the 2022 season.[15] Over 42 relief appearances, he went 3–3 with a 4.50 ERA and 57 strikeouts over 46 innings.[16]
On April 4, 2023, Leeper announced that he had undergone Tommy John surgery for the third time, and would miss the entire 2023 season as a result.[17] He returned action in 2024, making 13 rehab appearances split between the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Cubs, High-A South Bend Cubs, and Double-A Tennessee. Leeper made eight appearances for the Doubpe-A Knoxville Smokies in 2025, recording a 2.16 ERA with 10 strikeouts across 8+1⁄3 innings pitched. Leeper was released by the Cubs organization on August 8, 2025.[18]