A one-time HBCU baseball player made history on the international stage.
José De León threw 5 2/3 innings of hitless and scoreless baseball to go along with 10 strikeouts as part of a perfect game by Puerto Rico against Israel on Monday night.
The game marked the first perfect game in World Baseball Classic history.
Su nombre es José De León y es de ISABELA, PUERTO RICO. #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/yYza2hMU2c
— MLB Puerto Rico (@MLBPuertoRico) March 14, 2023
After De León was removed in the fifth inning after reaching the game’s pitch count limit, Puerto Rico turned to Yacksel Rios, Edwin Diaz and Duane Underwood Jr. to get through eight innings clean in the 10-0 win.
The house was rocking for José De León and his perfect performance. #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/O5O4RYnnmc
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 14, 2023
De León, however, might be familiar to HBCU baseball fans as he played at Southern University from 2011 to 2013. He was then drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 24th round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft.
De León has had stints with the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays. He most recently signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins.
