C Ryan Leitch, Signs FA contract with Philadelphia Phillies - $125,000
Hometown: Whitby, Ont.
Born: Clarksburg, WV.
Bats/Throws: R-R
Height/Weight: 6’ 1” 195 lbs.
School/Summer Team: Marshall University, Bourne Braves.
Scouts: Alex Agostino (St-Bruno, Que.) and Jeff Zona Jr.
Coach: Jeff Waggoner, Scott Landers.
Previous Teams: Toronto Mets, Junior National Team, DBacks Langley Blaze, Pickering-Ajax Cubs.
Previous Coaches: Ryan McBride, Chris Kemlo, Greg Hamilton, Doug Mathieson, Jamie Bodaly, Rick Leitch.
Previously drafted _ 30th round in 2019 by the Cincinnati Reds.Twitter handle _ @ryan_Leitch9
Good genes: His father Rich Leitch is one of the province’s best baseball minds. He formerly was head coach of the Salem University Tigers.
The most influential person in his my baseball life: “My dad has been a huge part of my baseball career as he’s always been there for me and pushed me to my limits even though it may have gotten on my nerves at times. It has made be a better ball player, as well as a better person.”
2022 summer with the Bourne Braves on Cape Cod: Batting .074 with a double and two RBIs.
2022 season at Marshall _ Batted .307 in 55 games with 17 doubles, a triple, 12 doubles and 43 RBIs with a .931 OPS ... Homered and knocked in three runs against BYU ... Had a pair of solo homers facing Indiana State ... Knocked in six runs with three hits with a homer against St. Bonaventure in two games ... Had three hits with an RBI in two games Northeastern ... Solo homer against Eastern Kentucky ... Seven hits, including a homer and eight RBIs with three doubles in four game series facing Oakland ... Two hits in mid-week game against Eastern Kentucky ... A homer and three RBIs against Merrimack ... Two hits with a double facing Ohio State ... A single against Ohio ... Collected four hits with an RBI against Florida International ... Against Rice he had five hits with a homer and two RBIs ... Three hits with a double facing Alabama-Birmingham ...Two hits and a pair of RBIs against West Virginia ... Had five hits, including two doubles and two homers, knocking in four ... Went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a homer and two RBIs ... Managed six hits. including three double, a homer four RBIs ... Two hits and a double against Western Kentucky ... Had a single against Charlotte ... Three hits with an RBI against Texas-San Antonio ... Singled facing Morehead State ... Three knocks with two doubles and two RBIs against Old Dominion ... Had a single against Morehead State ... Six hits with a double, two homers plus three RBIs Florida Atlantic.
2021 season at Marshall _ Hit .261 in 32 games with one double, 10 homers, 29 RBIs and an .887 OPS.
2020 season at Marshall _ Appeared in 14 games -- 11 starts -- batting .158 with a home run (against Akron) ... Had two hits and two RBIs against Akron ... Caught a team-high three opponents attempting to steal
2019 with Junior National Team, Dominican trip _ Doubled and singled against the Yankees ... Doubled facing the Mets ... Singled against the Cubs ... Spring trip _ Singled against Andrew Sopko, 24, a fifth-year pro, who was at double-A Tulsa in 2018 ... Singled home tying run in seventh against the Mets ... Extended spring trip _ Doubled facing the Astros ... Had an RBI double in the seventh and singled with two out in the ninth to knock in Dasan Brown in loss to Yankee prospects.
2018 with DBacks Langley Blaze and Toronto Mets _ Batted .357 in Jupiter ... Singled home winning run and was 3-for-4 in annual bragging rights game against the Ontario Blue Jays ... Won national championship
2016 with Toronto Mets _ Won national championship
Honors
2020 season at Marshall _ Named to Conference USA Honor Roll for GPA of 3.0 or better ... 2019 season with Toronto Mets and Sinclair Secondary School _ senior MVP for the Mets and his high school team ... 2018 season with DBacks Langley Blaze _ Earned all-tourney honors at WWBA championship in Jupiter, Fla.