John Leister
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1987-1990)
John Leister was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1987 to 1990 for the Boston Red Sox, a span of 4 seasons. Across 10 career appearances, he went 0-2 with a 8.50 ERA and 19 strikeouts.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'2" / 200 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1987-05-28
- Last Game
- 1990-04-16
Full name: John William Leister
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | BOS | AL | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30.1 | 49 | 31 | 12 | 16 | 9.20 | 4.29 (-114%) | -1946.3 |
| 1990 | BOS | AL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.2 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4.76 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 0 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36.0 | 56 | 34 | 16 | 19 | 8.50 | — | -1,946 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | BOS | AL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1990 | BOS | AL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 2 seasons | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (20 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Away | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 6 | 21.1 | 37 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 10.55 |
| Away | 4 | 14.2 | 19 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 5.52 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-04-16 | BOS | MIL | — | 1.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990-04-13 | BOS | MIL | — | 4.0 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 1987-10-03 | BOS | MIL | L | 5.0 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1987-09-27 | BOS | MIL | — | 5.0 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987-09-20 | BOS | BAL | — | 7.1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 1987-06-16 | BOS | CLE | — | 1.0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1987-06-13 | BOS | DET | — | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987-06-07 | BOS | DET | L | 3.1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 1987-06-02 | BOS | MIN | — | 5.1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| 1987-05-28 | BOS | CLE | — | 2.0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 10 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University | East Lansing | MI | 1983 |
John Leister: the record in brief
May 28, 1987 and April 16, 1990 bracket John Leister's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Leister spent the whole of the career shown here with one club, the Boston Red Sox. At 200 pounds on a 6-foot-2 frame, Leister is listed as a pitcher. The bio says Leister threw and hit right-handed. Leister was born on January 3, 1961, in San Antonio, TX, USA. The given name on file is John William Leister.
Leister pitched in 10 games, starting 7, and finished with a 0-2 record and 8.50 ERA. Leister had 19 strikeouts. Against a 4.08 league ERA for the same seasons, the 8.50 mark was 108.5% worse. 1987 was Leister's sharpest full season, a 9.20 ERA against the league's 4.29.
Leister appears at one position only: pitcher, in 10 games. On the mound, Leister's fielding totals are 2 putouts, 2 assists and 0 errors.
Before the majors, Leister played college baseball at Michigan State University (1983). Retrosheet box scores cover 20 of Leister's games, and the full game log is linked from the splits section.
Frequently Asked Questions about John Leister
- What years did John Leister play?
- John Leister played in Major League Baseball from 1987 to 1990.
- Was John Leister a pitcher?
- Yes. John Leister pitched in the major leagues, recording 0 wins and 19 strikeouts.
- What teams did John Leister play for?
- John Leister played for one team, the Boston Red Sox (1987, 1990).
- What were John Leister's career stats?
- In 10 games, John Leister went 0-2 with a 8.50 ERA, 19 strikeouts, and 36.0 innings pitched.
- What position did John Leister play?
- John Leister played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was John Leister and how much did he weigh?
- John Leister was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 200 pounds.
- What was John Leister's career ERA?
- John Leister finished with a 8.50 career ERA, going 0-2 with 19 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did John Leister have?
- John Leister recorded 19 career strikeouts.
- Is John Leister in the Hall of Fame?
- No. John Leister has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.