His Major League Baseball (MLB) coaching stops included the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays (on two occasions), Milwaukee Brewers, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Born in Ontario, California, Leyva, who is of Mexican-American descent, attended the University of LaVerne, and was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 24th round (561st overall) of the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft.

He later worked at multiple levels of the Chicago White Sox farm system before spending one season as third-base coach of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2007.

[8] On November 8, 2010, former Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu was named Toronto's bench coach, ending Leyva's tenure at that post.

[12] Leyva managed the Cardenales de Lara of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League in 1995-1996 season, leading them to the finals where they lost against the Navegantes del Magallanes, four games to three.

Seven years later, he returned to Venezuela to manage the Navegantes del Magallanes in the 2008-2009 season, but was dismissed because of the team's poor record.