4 days agoTexas Rangers starting pitching prospect
Jack Leiter tossed five innings of one-run ball en route to earning the victory on Friday evening against the Boston Red Sox. Leiter tallied four punchouts and allowed five hits. His lone run allowed came in the fourth inning when outfielder
Wilyer Abreu hit an RBI single. This was a strong outing for the former No. 2 overall pick. Last summer, Leiter made his MLB debut and did not find much success as he posted an 8.83 ERA with a 1.71 WHIP across 35 2/3 innings. He tallied 31 strikeouts and served up walks at a high 9.8 percent rate. However, even though his control was an issue in the minor leagues, Leiter flashed elite strikeout upside. At Triple-A, he tossed 77 innings and tallied 110 punchouts. He will look to build off this promising outing on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
7 days agoTexas Rangers right-hander
Jack Leiter is listed as the team's probable starter for Friday's game against the Boston Red Sox. Right-hander
Nathan Eovaldi gets the Opening Day nod on Thursday, while right-hander
Tyler Mahle is scheduled to go on Saturday. Right-hander
Jacob deGrom will close out the four-game series against Boston on Sunday. Injuries to lefty
Cody Bradford (elbow) and righty
Jon Gray (wrist) opened spots in Texas' Opening Day starting rotation for both Leiter and former Vanderbilt teammate
Kumar Rocker. Leiter, 24, did not fare well in his first nine big-league outings (six starts) in 2024 -- 8.83 ERA and 1.71 WHIP -- but he showed improved velocity this spring and fanned 21 hitters in 20 2/3 Cactus League innings. If he can make improvements from a year ago, Leiter will be a nice sleeper play in deep-mixed fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Texas Rangers PR
1 week agoTexas Rangers starting pitching prospect
Jack Leiter has earned a spot in the starting rotation. The former No. 2 overall selection made his MLB debut last summer and will look to take the next step in his development. During his first 35 2/3 innings in the majors, the Vanderbilt product posted a high 8.83 ERA with a 1.71 WHIP. He tallied 31 punchouts and allowed walks at a high 9.8 percent rate. During spring training, Leiter tossed 20 2/3 innings to the tune of a 3.48 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. He tallied 21 punchouts and served up 10 free passes. While he has struggled to command his pitches, the right-hander has flashed elite strikeout upside. Last season, Leiter tallied an impressive 110 punchouts across just 77 innings of work at the Triple-A level. He is worth taking a flyer on in deeper formats due to his elite swing-and-miss potential.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Evan Grant
2 weeks agoTexas Rangers starting pitching prospect
Jack Leiter tossed four innings during his start on Sunday. Leiter allowed two earned runs with four hits and three walks. He struck out four batters. Leiter continues to struggle with his control but was able to fight through this outing by only allowing two runs. With
Cody Bradford (elbow) and
Jon Gray (wrist) expected to miss the start of the season, Leiter is competing for one of the final spots in the rotation. Through 14 2/3 total innings this spring, the former second-overall pick has held a 3.07 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP. He tallied 17 strikeouts and has served up nine free passes. The right-hander made his MLB debut last season and posted an 8.83 ERA with a 1.71 WHIP across 35 2/3 innings. Leiter has flashed elite strikeout upside but has struggled to find consistent results. If he does earn a spot in the Opening Day rotation, he is worth taking a late flier on in deeper formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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