Year Review: Jack Leiter

Jack Leiter had a interesting year for the Rangers. If you ask people what they thought of his performance, you will probably get mix answers. So I will look back through Leiter’s year and go through his performances, both in the major and minor leagues. I will come to my answer at the end of the article.

March

Leiter made his first start of the year on March 30 against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. (Houston Astros’ Triple A Team)

He came out of the gate sharp as he went five innings allowing two hits for two runs while walking none and striking out nine. The runs came off a home run, which was a theme for Leiter this year.

This was the command that the Rangers were hoping that Leiter would show and in the first start, it looked good as he dominated the zone.

April

Leiter made two more starts in Round Rock going 9.1 innings. He allowed four runs with three home runs, three walks and a whomping 16 strikeouts.

Command had been his biggest issue in the minors, but he seemed like he had turned a corner. The Rangers were blown away with the results that he displayed and that earned him the call up to the big league team.

Leiter made his debut on April 18 against the Detroit Tigers in Comerica Park.

It didn’t go as he hoped. He allowed seven runs in 3.1 innings with three strikeouts. He also walked three batters, as he learned that major league players would be tougher to strike out. Leiter’s day would have a bit cleaner if not for a misplay in centerfield by Leody Taveras that added another three runs to Leiter’s total.

After the game, Leiter was sent back to Triple A to work out these issues.

May

Leiter responded as he put together two solid starts allowing just two runs in those games. That earned him another chance as he faced off against the Oakland Athletics.

Leiter improved, but the struggles were still there. He went four innings getting tagged for six runs, four earned with no walks and three strikeouts.

Leiter got one more major league start in the month of May as it was his worst performance of the year. He couldn’t even go two innings, just lasting 1.2 innings.

He allowed six runs with three walks and only a single strikeout. Leiter didn’t allowed too many hits, but the home run ball is what plagued him as he allowed five homers in his three major league starts.

Leiter returned to the minor leagues and looked good in his first start back against the Sugarland Space Cowboys. Leiter returned to his old form, putting together a five inning shutout with six strikeouts.

In his last start, Leiter hit a road bump, he got roughed up for six runs in 1.2 innings against the El Paso Chihuahuas.

June

His first start of the month isn’t too great either as he locked horns with the Oklahoma City Baseball Club. Leiter went three innings allowing four runs with three walks and strikeouts a piece.

Leiter fought back, finishing the month strong with four runs over 19 innings. He struck out 27 hitters while walking nine. His command did seem to be a little off, but he learned to work with traffic and he could rely on his stuff to get him out of jams. Another positive was Leiter only allowed two homers for the entire month of June.

July

Leiter had a good July as he complied a 3.95 era in 13.2 innings with seven walks to go with 16 strikeouts.

He started to put the bad starts behind him and he pitched with more consistency. His command improved and his strikeouts grew from previous years.

August

Leiter put together his best start since becoming part of the Rangers organization against the Albuquerque Isotopes. (Colorado Rockies’ Triple A Team)

Leiter went 3.2 innings allowing one hit and one run. Which, sounds pretty good, but we know that he has put together better starts than that. This is where your jaw will drop. Leiter struck out 11 batters, every out that he recorded came from the strikeout. Leiter only surrendered one walk to go along with his strikeouts.

This start showed all the hard work that Leiter put in coming to fruition as he dominated with all his tools.

He followed that start up with another incredible one. He went up against the Salt Lake Bees this time. (Los Angeles Angels’ Triple A Team)

He racked up nine strikeouts with one run through 5.2 innings. The Rangers decided that they had seen enough and they called Leiter back up to the big league team and he stayed there for the rest of the year.

Leiter made his first start back against the lowly Chicago White Sox. It started out rough as Andrew Benintendi doubled in a pair of runs, one of them unearned due to catcher’s interference on Carson Kelly.

He found his groove where he racked four strikeouts while keeping the White Sox off the board until the fifth inning where he allowed the first two runners on and was pulled from the game. Jose Urena came in and allowed one of the runners to score.

His final line from the game was four innings, three runs, two earned, two walks and four strikeouts. This wasn’t a great game, but it showed improvement for Leiter even if it was against the White Sox.

September

Leiter’s first start in September presented him with his toughest challenge as he faced the New York Yankees.

Leiter started out strong in this game, going five innings with his only mistake being a full count slider that he left in the zone to Gleber Torres who made him pay with a two run double.

Leiter had gotten the best of Juan Soto and probable American MVP Aaron Judge. They were a combined 0-4 against him.

The wheels came off for Leiter when he faced the Yankees lineup for a third time. The Yankees scratched across another run against him before he left the game with runners on 2nd 3rd.

Chase Anderson, the reliever that came into the game allowed both runs to score making Leiter’s line look worse.

His final line was five innings, seven hits, five runs, no walks and a pair of strikeouts.

Even though, the stat line didn’t show it, Jack Leiter was improving as he spent more time in the majors facing major league talent.

He showed this was the case in his next start. Leiter went five innings allowing three hits for two runs, two walks while racking up half a dozen strikeouts against the Los Angeles Angels.

This was Leiter’s best start in the major leagues up to this point and his flashed the talent that he showed in Vanderbilt that made him the second overall pick.

Leiter’s next opportunity came against the Seattle Mariners. This time he came out of the bullpen to piggy back off future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer.

Leiter outperformed him as he struck out six batters and allowed two runs in four innings.

The next start against the Mariners wasn’t as good. He allowed six runs in five innings as the long ball victimized him again with two coming off of him.

In his final start, he faced the Athletics again. He shut them out in 3.1 innings while walking three and striking out one.

Leiter ended the year on a good start as he wasn’t able to overpower the Athletics hitters, but he was able to stay out of trouble and limit the Athletics.

Conclusion

Overall, Jack Leiter had an up and down year, he had some incredible games in the minor leagues while it seemed like there were some games in the MLB where he couldn’t get a single guy out.

There seems to be a pattern with Leiter. Whenever He struggles, it seems like he gets into his own head and that gets him even more off track. There is evidence of this as he was breathing deeply in his start against the Tigers.

I would say my overall thoughts are happy with the progress that Leiter made and reaching the MLB was an accomplishment by itself. He flashed those moments that showed he belonged and that he could dominate.

I think that Leiter can become a middle of the rotation arm with his ceiling being a low end ace. Maybe there is more in the tank for Leiter and he could dominate. I see him being a similar level player to Nathan Eovaldi and that would be a big win for the Rangers.