Gunbarrel native Kyle Leahy gets taste of big leagues with St. Louis Cardinals

About five years after hearing his name called in the 2018 MLB draft, 26-year-old Gunbarrel native Kyle Leahy made his big league debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on July 7. The right-handed pitcher's first call-up didn't last long, but Leahy can officially consider himself one of just over 20,000 players who've ever reached the game's highest level.

Leahy's first MLB appearance came on the road against the Chicago White Sox. With the Cards up 7-6 following a go-ahead two-run home run by Nolan Arenado, Leahy was called in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. His outing began well as he struck out his first batter, two-time All-Star Tim Anderson, on a 97 MPH fastball. Unfortunately for Leahy, he then surrendered a solo homer, a single and a pair of walks before getting pulled.

In his next outing on July 16, Leahy saw three Washington Nationals batters and managed to record only one out. Four days later, his struggles with command continued as he was unable to escape the seventh inning while facing the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals then optioned Leahy back down to AAA Memphis on July 22.

Leahy had a 4.06 ERA in 28 appearances, including three spot starts, at the minor league level before he was recalled.

Despite his difficult three outings with the Cardinals, reaching the big leagues as a 17th-round pick from Colorado remains an impressive feat. HIs parents, Tim and Maribeth Leahy, were able to attend his major league debut.

The younger Leahy took the local prep baseball scene by storm in 2015 when he pitched to a 9-1 record and a 0.41 ERA as a senior at Erie High School. He then played at Division II powerhouse Colorado Mesa University and went 13-0 with a 1.41 ERA during his sophomore season in 2017, earning First-Team All-American honors, and in 2018, a draft selection.