Chiefs in the Show, Volume 3

It’s William Edward Hickson that said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” In this week’s Chiefs in the Show we recall a former Chief who, at first, didn’t succeed. Then didn’t succeed again. Then didn’t succeed a few more times. But who always tried again.

Sandy Leon was born in 1989 in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He was signed by the Nationals organization as a switch-hitting 18-year-old in 2007. It took Leon five years to advance to Triple-A Syracuse. In those years, he played with the rookie-level Gulf Coast Nationals, Single-A Hagerstown Suns, Short-Season A Vermont Lake Monsters, and the Class-A Potomac Nationals. From 2007 through 2011, Leon never once hit higher than .251 and never tallied more than 43 RBIs in a season.

He hit over .300 for the first time with the Chiefs in 2012. Playing in Syracuse for the tail end of the year, Leon compiled a .346 average, while tallying seven extra-base hits in 19 games. However, the successful slash line did not result in a promotion to Washington. Leon wound up back in Double-A Harrisburg for the majority of his 2013 campaign. Leon finally found his way to the majors with the Nationals in 2014, but hit just .156 in 20 games. He spent most of the year in Syracuse and continued to struggle at the plate, hitting just .229 in 170 at-bats. At the conclusion of the season, Leon was traded from Washington to Boston in exchange for cash considerations.

With the Red Sox in 2015, the catcher hit a meager .184 in 114 at-bats. As a result, Boston chose to designate Leon for assignment. He cleared waivers and finished the year with Triple-A Pawtucket.

Entering the 2016 season, Leon was a career .187 major-league hitter, with just three extra-base hits. Despite the poor offensive output, Leon was given a chance with the Red Sox, after injuries to both Ryan Hanigan and Blake Swihart. And the catcher instantly turned things around, going 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in his first game. The explosive offensive performances continued.

Since the promotion, Leon has inexplicably turned into one of the best hitters in all of baseball. In 21 games with Boston, the catcher is hitting a prolific .452 with nine doubles and 13 RBIs.

A factor Leon attributes to his newfound success is his consistent eye level at the plate. Red Sox assistant hitting coach Victor Rodriguez helped the catcher accomplish this, saying, “We did a couple drills just to keep him tall. He used to crouch and his first move was to come up. So we just kept him tall, and he was going direct to the ball. And he’s staying through the ball.”

The adjustment has Leon enjoying the strongest stretch of his career. One of his best performances came last Saturday against the rival Yankees. The former Chief went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and a career-high four RBIs at Yankee Stadium. When asked about his offensive outburst, Leon remained humble, saying, “It feels good, but it’s only like 60 at-bats. I know it’s a lot of hits in 60 at-bats, but like I say, I’m trying to keep it simple and help the team.”

After struggling for years, across all levels, this former Chief is enjoying career bests in the show. A decrease is eventually expected to some extent, but for the time being, Leon looks to continue his all-star caliber play in 2016.