Young Blue Jays Minor Leaguer With Amazing Name Hit With Drug Suspension
By Sean Facey
Major League Baseball cracked down on minor league drug use on Friday, but in doing so, they brought perhaps the greatest name in all of baseball to the forefront of the news.
In addition to Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets prospects Israel Lantigua and Amaury Pereya, who received 72-game suspensions, Toronto Blue Jays youngster Jackxarel Lebron will serve a 52-game ban of his own at the start of the 2020 season.
MLB announces three young minor leaguers have been suspended. pic.twitter.com/lm5HSpNoNf
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) November 8, 2019
Yes, that's actually his name, and yes, it's awesome.
Unfortunately, he's on the wrong end of the rulebook considering he tested positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing drug. It's a shame that fans won't get to hear his name called at the start of next season.
#BlueJays rookie-ball righty Jackxarel Lebron, a 16th round pick last year, suspended 52 games after testing positive for Boldenone, per MLB announcement
— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) November 8, 2019
Lebron didn't fare well at all in 2019. In 10 games in rookie ball, he pitched to the tune of an abysmal 11.32 ERA, sporting a 1.935 WHIP to boot. He coughed up nine walks in 10 1/3 innings of work while managing just seven strikeouts.
However fun it is to hear his name, it's decidedly less enjoyable to see him pitch.