Not everything goes as planned in the life of a baseball player. But sometimes, things do work out in the way that you might least expect. Such is the case for newly signed free agent pitcher Ben Leeper, who the Cubs signed out of Oklahoma State on June 14.
Basic Info
Height – 6’
Weight – 201
Throws – Right
From Southlake, Texas
Age – 23
Coming out of high school in Texas, Leeper was a 5-foot-11 and 193 pound right handed starter. It was good enough to earn a spot on a squad that would end up in the College World Series that included former Cub prospect Thomas Hatch. He only made 2 starts in 2016 as he blew out his elbow and it required Tommy John surgery. He only totaled 5.2 innings but struck out eight and had a 3.18 ERA.
Leeper would miss almost all of 2017. He posted a picture of his elbow. It’s backwards, but you get the drift.
https://twitter.com/Ben_Leeper5/status/718147083975335936
When Leeper returned to the Oklahoma State roster in 2018, and it was simply put, a very rough year. He appeared in 17 games with a 12.69 ERA, two of which he started. In 27.2 innings, he struck out 34 but walked 23. It was clear he was adjusting to his new elbow and his new role.
When 2019 came around, things started to click for Leeper. Now relegated to the bullpen, he wound up being the Cowboys closer and earned an honorable mention to the All Big 12 team. In 31.1 innings, he had a 4.31 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 23 walks.
He would spend the summer of 2019 in the Cape Cod league as he continued to build strength in his elbow. He got an additional 10 innings as he struck out 12 and walked eight with a 3.60 ERA for the Wareham Gatemen
Unfortunately, the pandemic cut his senior season short. In 7.1 innings he had a 2.45 ERA as he struck out 14.
https://twitter.com/Ben_Leeper5/status/1238947460724252672
Leeper can get his fastball up into the mid 90s and has some good ride on his four seamer up in the zone. As you can see in the following video, it does look like there is a little effort to his delivery but there’s not a lot of moving parts. This is something the Cubs can work with. The Cubs will also work with some different grips on some of his breaking stuff, but the Pitch Lab can build off his fastball as the foundation of his arsenal.
Had there been baseball this summer, Leeper probably would’ve started out in Eugene, and because of his age he might’ve gotten in some time at South Bend. In 2021, he’s more than likely to head to Myrtle Beach. He’ll be 24 at that point in time, which is a little bit old for South Bend, but not Myrtle Beach. If the Cubs can figure out some command issues, there might be something here.
Leeper’s signing continues the trend of guys that have some loud tools that need refining. They’re counting on coaching and development and technology to help advance the player.
Cubs Central 
[…] Here is his profile from last summer shortly after he signed. […]
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