De Leon won in his big league debut Sunday versus the Padres, allowing four runs while striking out nine without a walk across six strong innings.
De Leon allowed a two-run homer and later yielded another pair of runs, thanks in part to his own error in the fifth, but he was able to settle down and completed six frames with just 86 pitches. The rookie was a coveted prospect and profiles as a strikeout pitcher due to his impressive 11.6 K/9 rate this year in the minors, and Sunday's results supported both cases. His next start at this level has yet to be scheduled, but his encouraging debut should earn him another turn or two in the rotation during the regular season's final month.