Jose DeLeon Cause of Death: Former Dominican pitcher & NL Strikeouts leader dies due to cancer

The MLB world is mourning the loss of former NL strikeout leader Jose DeLeon, who died on Sunday after a long battle with cancer, MLB insider Hector Gomez reported on social media. It's tragic news for the Dominican baseball community as Jose was a role model for many.

DeLeon played 13 seasons, with his career spanning from 1983 to 1995 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos.

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A closer look at Jose DeLeon's MLB career

Jose DeLeon was 86-119 with 1,594 strikeouts in 1,897.1 innings with a 3.76 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in his career.

He led the NL in strikeouts in 1989, with 201, while playing for the Cardinals. That season, he had a career-high 16 wins, going 16-12 with a 3.05 ERA. He also matched a career high with five complete games. That was his third straight season with at least 11 wins, but he had 19 losses in 1990, tying a career-worst mark for losses in a season.

At 19, DeLeon was a third-round draft pick of the Pirates in 1979. The pitcher made his debut for Pittsburgh on June 23, 1983. He went 7-3 with a 2.83 ERA that season. That was his best winning percentage with at least 10 decisions in his career.

DeLeon retired from the sport after playing his last game on Sept. 18, 1995.

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