Kyle Leppelmeier
Head Groundskeeper // Toledo Mudhens
2025 Class of Pioneers in the Field

For Kyle Leppelmeier, pride and people are at the heart of his long days and even longer nights at Fifth Third Field. Like the mentors who helped shape him and the crew he leads today, Kyle takes pride not just in the ballfields he builds, but the people behind them.

That pride comes from creating a safe and playable baseball diamond. And most of all, Kyle takes great pride in the people he does it all for, his team at home. 

Kyle Leppelmeier is the longtime Sports Turf Manager for the Toledo Mud Hens and 2024 Dairan Daily Award recipient.

As a quiet but powerful force in the world of minor league baseball, Kyle leads with humility and hard-earned experience. “I don’t think I could do anything else,” Kyle shared. “This is what I know. This is what I love… I feel like groundskeepers make the impossible, possible.”

Leppelmeier’s journey started like so many in the industry; mowing lawns in his small hometown of Edgerton, Ohio, with memories of grass maintenance at six years old.

But that early exposure to turf work led him to a lifelong love of sports and sparked a curiosity that would grow into a career.

After pursuing turf management at Owens Community College while continuing to play baseball, Leppelmeier landed his first opportunity in the industry through attending a job fair where he met industry leaders, Brian Hall and Rob Montgomery, of Sylvania Parks and Recreation.

It was their visible tenacity for field maintenance that proved pivotal to Leppelmeier, leading him to intern and eventually work with their crew for multiple summers.

From there, he interned with the Cincinnati Reds and even found himself in Atlanta working under Jon Dewitt and his team at Wesleyan School before returning to Toledo as Assistant Groundskeeper.

Kyle’s career came full circle when he returned to the Mud Hens as Head Sports Turf Manager after a seven-year stint as a golf course superintendent. Today he oversees field operations through Ohio’s unpredictable springs, long summer games, and special events like the club’s Winterfest, which once included the setup of an outdoor rink installation that saw the field transformed and rebuilt in time for Opening Day against all odds… A time when that impossible was made possible by the hands of Leppelmeier and his team. 

One of Kyle’s standout qualities is his commitment to teaching. He believes in training through empowerment—not micromanagement. “There’s more than one way to get to the finish line,” he said. “As long as it’s safe and it plays right, I’m good with that.” His approach has built a culture of mutual respect and professional development that Kyle only hopes his ground crew members take on to their next job, whether it's on the field or off.

While every season brings new challenges and new team members, Kyle’s backbone in his standards and his leadership remain unchanged. Leppelmeier’s colleagues note that his technical skills are matched by his ability to cultivate a strong team which leads them to success. 

Alex Rodriguez, a four-year grounds crew member under the direction of Leppelmeier, touches on just how important it is to have a boss who possesses these skills which lead to a successful field, gameplay, and crew camaraderie. “Kyle does a great job of working with us. For a job that requires almost perfection in every aspect, he does a really good job of teaching you the right way and not being overly picky about certain things.”

"Kyle is a tremendous leader and teacher with his crew. He has standards and holds everyone to them. It’s not only the hard work he puts in, but the attention to detail every single day. He connects and communicates with the players daily about how the field surface is doing. He is all about the players and helping them perform as well as their safety. Toledo surface and field is one of the if not the best in baseball."

Anthony Lapoce, former Mud Hens Manager and current Detroit Tigers 1st base coach

Chase Osmun, another grounds crew member of the Toledo Mud Hens for four years, speaks to Leppelmeier’s ability to make a job double as a hobby.

“Kyle does a heck of a job leading us to the right place and showing us how to do it (…) He is willing to teach you just about anything at all times and there are no dumb questions with him. I came in knowing nothing about this job and since then, he has built me up. I love this job.”

Leppelmeier himself says this team cultivation comes from his desire to make the job a second home away from home.

“You’re with your crew more than your own family during the season,” he said. “So, we work hard to make sure it’s not a miserable environment. Everyone has value here.” 

The value that Leppelmeier instills in his grounds crew transcends outside of working hours, too. Rookie grounds member Derek Borstelman attests to this, even in his short time with the Mud Hens, stating, “He’s a great teacher and a great leader. He’s compassionate and he simply just cares. He gives the crew times that they need whether it's for family or something else. It is just a great atmosphere and keeps me coming back everyday.”

It is the value that Leppelmeier cultivates onto each of his team members that speaks to his character as a leader both on and off of the field… And it also happens to be one of the many reasons why Kyle was awarded the 2024 Darian Daily Memorial Award.

“When I was told I was getting the Darian Daily Award, it was super humbling. For people to recognize it… You can only hope that when you are long gone that people will still be talking so highly of you.”

Like many other leaders in this industry such as Darian Daily, Kyle’s humble passion for the job is equaled by his devotion to his family. With three children and a home in the countryside, he balances the long hours at the ballpark with coaching youth sports, walking the dogs on backroads, and catching dinner as often as the schedule allows.

“Anytime the five of us are together, that’s the best moment,” he said. “Even if it’s 30 minutes.”

Leppelmeier is quick to acknowledge the sacrifices his family makes as he puts in long hours on the field. But deep down, he hopes they see his love for his work and take away a bigger lesson: the value of showing up, working hard, and finding passion in whatever they choose to do. 

Whether it’s rolling out a tarp in a downpour or carving stripes into the grass at sunrise for a double header, Kyle’s legacy won’t just be written in the turf he so meticulously takes care of. Instead, it’ll be carried forward by every young crew member who learns under his watch. And for a man who would rather his work be noticed than his name, that’s the greatest recognition of all.

Listen to the podcast: