Al Leiter might not be pitching every five days, but New York Mets fans will be able to use the lefty hurler in “MLB The Show 20.”
On Friday, former New York Mets pitcher Al Leiter was revealed as one of the newest legends on “MLB The Show 20.” Healy, who is an “MLB The Show” creator, revealed Leiter as a legend in a short video snippet on Twitter. In the segment, Leiter is shown as a Met in the retro black jersey striking out Ronald Acuna Jr.
Leiter weighed in on the honor via Twitter. The always-upbeat lefty is stoked to be a part of the action.
Leiter’s career spanned 19 seasons. He spent seven years with the Mets, seven years with the Toronto Blue Jays, four years with the New York Yankees, and three years with the then-Florida Marlins.
Leiter’s best years came as a Met. In 1360 innings pitched, Leiter recorded a 3.46 ERA, 1.300 WHIP, 124 ERA+, 3.92 FIP, and 1106 strikeouts. While with the Mets, Leiter was an All-Star in 2000 and finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting in 1998. He was also an All-Star in 1996 with the Marlins and finished ninth in NL Cy Young voting that year, as well.
Leiter was also a three-time World Series champion, twice with the Blue Jays and once with the Marlins. His no-hitter with the Marlins in 1996 stands as one of the defining moments of his career. In an off-the-field accolade, Leiter won the Roberto Clemente Award for exemplifying baseball and community involvement in 2000 while with the Mets.
Fans will only have to wait until March 17 to play as Leiter in “The Show” and it can’t come soon enough for Mets fans.