Al Leiter is an American former professional left-handed baseball player who works as a television sports commentator. He is a two-time NL All-Star player; Leiter pitched for three World Series-winning teams and threw a no-hitter in 1996 during his tenure with the Marlins.
Leiter was first inducted into the Central Regional Hall of Fame, then into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. As of 2023, Berkley Township’s favorite son, Al Leiter, was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame.
He was a starting pitcher for MLB for 19 seasons. Leiter was named the recipient of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award in 2000.
His son, Leiter, received a non-roster invitation to major league spring training in 2023.
As of 2024, Al Leiter has an estimated $34 million net worth.
Leiter was part of various big-name teams like the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins, and New York Mets.
Today, let’s dive into the life of Al Leiter and disclose all his information, like his early life, family, career, personal life, and many more.
But before that, let’s take a look at some of the quick facts.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Alois Terry Leiter |
| Birth Date | October 23, 1965 |
| Birth Place | Toms River, New Jersey, U.S.A. |
| Nick Name | Al Leiter |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Education | High School: Central Regional High School College: Penn State University |
| Horoscope | Scorpio |
| Father’s Name | Alexander Leiter |
| Mother’s Name | Marie Leiter |
| Siblings | 5; Mark, John, Kurt, Karl, Eric Leiter |
| Age | 58 Years Old |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in / 184 cm / 1.84 m |
| Weight | 220 lb / 99 kg |
| Shoe Size | Unknown |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Married | Yes |
| Wife | Lori Leiter |
| Children | 4; Lindsay Brooke, Carly Jayne, Jack Thomas, And Katelyn Grace Leiter |
| Profession | American Baseball Player, Broadcaster |
| Net Worth | $34 Million |
| Salary | Unknown |
| Currently Works As | Broadcaster |
| Affiliations | New York Yankees, New York Mets, Florida Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, YES Network, MLB Channel, ESPN, FOX |
| Active Years | 1987-Present |
| Social Media | Twitter: @AlLeiter22 |
| Merch | Rookie Cards, Signed Jersey |
| Last Update | March 2024 |
Early Life, Childhood, & High School
Leiter (fully named Alois Terry Leiter) was born on October 23, 1965, under Scorpio’s sun sign, to his parents, Marie Leiter and Alexander Leiter.
His father was a merchant seaman who met Leiter’s mother in Liverpool, England, during his travels.
Nevertheless, they parted ways when Leiter was 14.
Leiter’s father has passed away; he was never close to him, which he always regrets.
Born in a family of six boys, Al Leiter was quite athletic from a young age. Just like his five brothers, Al also played baseball.
He is from Berkeley Township, New Jersey. Hailing from such an athletic family, the sense of sports and sportsmanship was instilled into him from a young age.
Leiter attended the Central Regional High School in New Jersey and played baseball in school as well. He played exceptionally well and had a good record in his high school games.
The baseball player was selected for the Wilson First Team All-American team. The NJSIAA named Leiter to the NJ High School Hall of Fame in 2016.
Age & Body Measurements
Al Leiter is 58 years old as of 2024. He is of Austrian, Czech, and British descent.
He stands at 1.84 meters and weighs 220 lb; he has brown hair and brown eye color.
Professional Career
New York Yankees
Leiter started his career when he was pretty young. He was 19 when the New York Yankees first drafted him in their second-round picks. Both he and his brother, Mark, were promising candidates for the Yankees in the 1984 MLB Draft.
Al Leiter debuted his professional pitching career as a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees in 1987. Yankees won the match with a 4-3 win against Milwaukee Brewers at the Yankees stadium.
Moreover, at the beginning of his career, he used to lift weights to improve his arm strength. His then-manager, Billy Martin, suggested he “do some long toss” if he wanted to gain arm strength.
He also shared that his manager Dallas Green made him throw 162 pitches on a cold, damp day in 1989.
Toronto Blue Jays
Al was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1989. When he was with Jays, he had arthroscopic surgery. Despite being an outstanding pitcher, he could pitch less than 20 innings for the first 4 years due to his surgery.
It all started back in 1988 when in May, he severely bruised his left forearm. Following it, Leiter struggled with soreness in his left elbow, a blister on the middle finger of his left hand, and a strain below his left shoulder blade.
Despite all these, he was still seen as a prospective player and a valuable asset to his team. He was free from injuries and health problems by 1993 and made 32 appearances that year.
Al Leiter started 12 games for the Blue Jays. He was also a part of the 5 postseason matches the Toronto Jays played in.
Leiter performed brilliantly in the 1993 World Series, and after the team’s collective effort, the Toronto Blue Jays won their second consecutive World Championship.
He continued to wow everyone with his performance in the next two seasons.
Additionally, he went on to join the Florida Marlins after a few successful years with the Blue Jays.
Florida Marlins
Being a Marlin proved lucky to Al, considering he made it into the All-Star team in the first season of playing for the Florida Marlins.
His record was impeccable that season, 16-12 with an ERA of 2.93 and 200 strikeouts. Al played his first All-Star game at the Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.
Leiter won another World Series in 1997 when the Marlins beat the Cleveland Indians. This interesting win came after Leiter started Game 7 by pitching 6 innings and only giving up two earned runs and a no-decision.
The Marlins went on to win the game 3-2 in 11 innings to win the entire championship.
New York Mets
Al Leiter joined the New York Mets in the off-season because of the Marlins’ crazy sale of almost all their high-priced players.
The first season in the Mets went exceptionally well for Al Leiter as he achieved his all-time high in the win of 17-6. However, he also scored an all-time-low ERA of 2.47.
In the nerve-wracking 1999, where the Mets were tied with Cincinnati Reds for the National League Wild Card spot, Leiter was the starting pitcher for the “winner takes all” single-game playoff where the winner would get the spot.
He pitched a 2-hit complete game shutout to earn the Mets’ special victory, who eventually lost the National League Championship to Atlanta Braves.
Leiter played in the All-Star team in 2000 with a 16-8 and 200 strikeouts. The Mets reached the playoffs again in 2000 and even the World Series.
The Mets eventually lost in the World Series, and both the matches Leiter started in.
Al Leiter created history on April 30, 2002, by being the first-ever player in MLB to have defeated all the 30 teams of the league when he defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks with an impressive 10-1.
He played with the Mets until the end of 2004. He joined the Florida Marlins in December 2004 and the New York Yankees in July 2004.
Second Time With The Marlins & The Yankees
The Florida Marlins signed Leiter on a one-year contract for $8 million in December 2004. Al struggled to keep his form for the Marlins.
He did not play well and was criticized heavily for the poor performance of the Marlins. He became a free agent in 2005.
The New York Yankees acquired Leiter in July 2005.
In his final appearance wearing a Major League uniform, he won his match at the Yankees stadium.
Leiter signed a minor league contract with the Yankees in 2006. But he stated he would likely retire, and the main reason he spent part of spring training with the Yankees was for the World Baseball Classic.
After the United States’ elimination from World Baseball Classic, he officially retired in an interview on YES.
Broadcasting Career
Al Leiter’s broadcasting career started as a broadcaster in 1998 when he mostly worked for Fox during the playoffs to offer an in-depth analysis of the pitchers. He also worked for ESPN.
Leiter was a color analyst while playing for the NY Mets in 2003.
For the “Manny game,” he won NY Emmy in 2007 in Boston. In 2009, he was hired by MLB Network in addition to his commentating job with the YES.
After years of service, Leiter announced he would be leaving YES in 2019 to free up his schedule so he could be around for his son, Jack.
He received a National Sports Emmy Award Nomination for studio Analyst in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018, and 2019.
Leiter also received the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Studio Show Daily MLB Tonight Segment Producer in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2019.
As a game analyst, he won the NY Sports Emmy for the ES Network.
Indeed, his decision shocked the boss, John Filippelli, with whom he has bonded a strong relationship over the years. Even John stated that no one would replace Leiter in his position, and he was free to join him anytime.
Awards And Accolades
Professional Baseball Player
- 2 All-Stars (1996 and 2000)
- 3 times World Series Champion (1992, 1993, 1997)
- Roberto Clemente Award (2000)
- Pitched a no-hitter on May 11, 1996
Broadcaster And Commentator
- NY Emmy in 2007 for “Manny Game” in Boston
- National Sports Emmy Award Nomination for Studio Analyst(2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015)
- Sports Emmy for Outstanding Studio Show- Daily MLB Tonight Segment Producer
- NY Sports Emmy for game Analyst for the YES Network
Career Stats
Leiter last played in the Major League uniform, where he earned a win, pitching 0.2 scoreless innings in Game 4 at Yankee Stadium against Los Angeles Angels.
His total career stats are :
WIN-LOSS record: 162-132
Earned run average: 3.80
Strikeouts: 1,974
Political Activities & Charitable Work
Al Leiter has also always been interested in political activities. The baseball pitcher has repeatedly expressed his desire to run for political office as a Republican in his home state of New Jersey.
He has served as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s transition team. He was appointed member of the New Jersey Sports, Gaming, and Entertainment Committee.
Governor Christie nominated him for the New Jersey Hall of Fame Commission and was appointed to the commission by the state senate.
Leiter is also famous for his generous charitable work that has helped many needy people. Recognizing his generosity and kindness, he has won almost all of MLB’s philanthropic awards, including the Branch Rickey Award in 1999.
Personal Life, Kids, & Net Worth
Al Leiter has been married to Lori Leiter since 1991. They have four kids together; Lindsay Brooke Leiter, Carly Jayne Leiter, Jack Thomas Leiter, and Katelyn Grace Leiter.
Son, Jack Leiter
Jack Thomas Leiter, an American born on April 21, 2000, is a professional MLB pitcher in the Texas Rangers organization. He is years old as of 2024.
He played college baseball as a pitcher for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Leiter’s son, Jack, debuted his college career on February 18, 2020, against the University of South Alabama.
Jack Leiter stood as the No.1 prospect on the list of CBS for the 2021 MLB Draft. However, he was the No. 2 prospect on ESPN’s list.
He was named the SEC Newcomer of the Year and selected as a consensus first-team All-American. Leiter led Vanderbilt to the 2021 College World Series finals and was named to the All-Tournament team.
He was named the Baseball America 2021 Freshman of the Year for his gameplay.
Leiter signed with Texas on 28 July 2021 with a $7.92 million signing bonus.
He began the 2022 season with the Frisco RoughRiders of the Double-A Texas League and was selected to represent the Rangers at the 2022 All-Star Futures Game.
Al Leiter’s brother, Mark Leiter, is also a baseball player who pitched 11 seasons in the Major League.
Similarly, Kurt Leiter, another brother, played for the Baltimore Orioles and reached as high as Double-A. His nephew, Mark Leiter Jr., is a pitcher for Arizona Diamondbacks.
Net Worth
Al Leiter is a very wealthy man. He has a fortune of a staggering $34 million.
He had a very successful career as a baseball player and a commentator.
He continues to be one of the most sought-after commentators and baseball-related broadcasters. His analysis is considered accurate and credible in the broadcasting society.
Social Media Presence
Al Leiter is active on Twitter if you want to follow him.
So proud of my girls and absolutely love being a #girlsdad pic.twitter.com/njyhWZyoJB
— Al Leiter (@AlLeiter22) January 31, 2020
He does not appear to be on Facebook or Instagram. However, his son, Jack, and his nephew, Mark Leiter Jr., are on Instagram.
Popularity Graph
Al Leiter is a former baseball player and a sports commentator.
The above graph shows Leiter’s popularity over the past twelve months.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Is Al Leiter in the Hall of Fame?
He is not in the Hall of Fame. However, the New York Mets have inducted Howard Johnson, Al Leiter, and broadcasters Gray Cohen and Howie Rose into the Mets Hall of Fame.
Did Al Leiter win a World Series?
Al Leiter has won three World Series; he won his first World Series in 1992 while playing for Toronto Blue Jays. Similarly, he won his second World Series in 1993 while playing for Toronto Blue Jays and his third in 1997 while playing for Florida Marlins.
Where does Al Leiter live?
Al Leiter formerly resided in Weston, Florida. According to some sources, he resides with his family in Toms River, Summit.
Who did the Mets trade for Al Leiter?
The Mets traded Al Leiter for A.J. Burnett, Jesus Sanchez, and Robert Stratton on February 6, 1998.
