| Brandon Leibrandt | |
| Team: | Cincinnati Reds |
| Width: | 250 |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Birth Date: | 13 December 1992 |
| Birth Place: | Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Bats: | Left |
| Throws: | Left |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | August 23 |
| Debutyear: | 2020 |
| Debutteam: | Miami Marlins |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Statyear: | 2020 season |
| Stat1label: | Win–loss record |
| Stat1value: | 0–0 |
| Stat2label: | Earned run average |
| Stat2value: | 2.00 |
| Stat3label: | Strikeouts |
| Stat3value: | 3 |
| Teams: | |
Brandon Charles Leibrandt (born December 13, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Cincinnati Reds organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins. Leibrandt is the son of former MLB pitcher Charlie Leibrandt.
Leibrandt attended Marist School in Brookhaven, Georgia.[1] As a pitcher on the school's baseball team, he had a 13–0 win–loss record with an 0.71 earned run average (ERA) in 79 innings pitched with 120 strikeouts and 11 walks as a senior.[2] Leibrandt was named Baseball America High School third team All-American in 2011 and ESPN Rise first team.[2]
Leibrandt enrolled at FSU to play college baseball for the Florida State Seminoles. As a freshman in 2012, he was 8–3 with a 2.82 ERA in 19 starts (tied for third-most in the country), and as a sophomore he finished with a 10–4 record and a 3.44 ERA.[2] In 2013, Leibrandt played collegiate summer baseball with the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[3] As a junior he was 4–1 with a 1.83 ERA, before he was injured and had his season cut short.[2] The Philadelphia Phillies selected Leibrandt in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Draft.[4]
Leibrandt signed and spent 2014 with the GCL Phillies and Williamsport Crosscutters, pitching to a combined 3–5 record and 2.82 ERA with 67 strikeouts and an 0.97 WHIP in 60.2 innings. In 2015, he played for the Clearwater Threshers where he compiled a 7–3 record, 3.11 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 17 starts. He was a Florida State League Mid-Season All Star, and an MiLB Phillies Organization All Star. In 2016, he returned to Clearwater, but pitched in only six games due to injury. He spent 2017 with both the Reading Fightin Phils and Lehigh Valley IronPigs, posting a combined 11–5 record and 3.62 ERA in 25 total starts between the two clubs.[5] [6]
Leibrandt returned to Lehigh Valley in 2018, going 4–1 with a 1.42 ERA and an 0.87 WHIP in 20 games (six starts), and struck out 32 batters in 50.2 innings.[7] [8] He last pitched on June 30, and underwent Tommy John surgery, missing the remainder of the 2018 season and the 2019 season.
The Phillies released Leibrandt on May 29, 2020.[9] [10]
On June 3, 2020, Leibrandt signed with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[11]
On August 10, 2020, the Miami Marlins selected Leibrandt's contract from Somerset.[12] Leibrandt was promoted to the major leagues on August 18.[13] He made his major league debut on August 23 against the Washington Nationals. On the season, Leibrandt appeared in five big league games, notching a 2.00 ERA with three strikeouts in 9.0 innings pitched. He was sent outright to Triple-A on October 29, 2020, and became a free agent on November 2.
On April 5, 2021, Leibrandt re-signed with the Marlins on a minor league contract.[14] Leibrandt split the season between the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos, posting a cumulative 5.68 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 88.2 innings of work across 21 games. He elected free agency following the season on November 7, 2021.[15]
On February 28, 2022, Leibrandt signed with the Wild Health Genomes of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[16] However, he was released by the team on March 7 prior to the ALPB season.
On March 16, 2022, Leibrandt signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs.[17] Leibrandt split time between the Double-A Tennessee Smokies and Triple-A Iowa Cubs, pitching to a cumulative 4–4 record and 4.67 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 69.1 innings of work across 21 games (8 starts). He was released by the Cubs organization on August 5.
On April 28, 2023, Leibrandt signed with the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[18] He made 3 starts for the Rockers, posting a 5.40 ERA with 9 strikeouts in innings pitched. Leibrandt was released by the team on May 14.[19] On July 31, Leibrandt re–signed with the Rockers.[20] He totaled a 3.26 ERA with 53 strikeouts across 12 starts for the club in 2023.
On April 19, 2024, Leibrandt re–signed with the Rockers.[21] In 4 starts for the club, Leibrandt compiled an 0.93 ERA with 24 strikeouts across innings pitched.
On May 24, 2024, Leibrandt's contract was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds organization.[22]