Texas Rangers Prospect Jack Leiter had to Clear Head, Simplify Pitching to Regain Touch
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Jack Leiter is well aware of the expectations that come along with his last name and where he was drafted.
The Texas Rangers right-hander was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft after a stellar career at college baseball powerhouse Vanderbilt. His father, Al Leiter, was a former All-Star left-hander.
Sometimes, those expectations can turn players into knots trying to address any perceived issue with too many pieces of advice.
Leiter and the Rangers are hoping his hiccup last summer, in which he pitched only twice for Double-A Frisco over a two-month span, helped the 23-year-old rediscover his feel on the mound.
"I did a lot of work starting in the middle of last summer, proceeding until the end of the season," Leiter said. "I carried that over into the offseason, whether it was physical or mental; there were just a lot of areas that I fine-tuned and cleaned up. I feel really good about the progress."
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy characterized Leiter's pause as "clearing out" his head.
Bochy compared the situation with a novice golfer trying to listen to too many golf tips.
"All we want Jack to do is come in here being himself and just let his natural talent surface," Bochy said. "He's got the equipment to pitch up here. We're not looking for him to change anything. More importantly, for him, just go out there and compete and be himself."
Bochy follows a golf pro who gives swinging tips on Instagram. He sees a parallel with baseball players.
"There's a lot of good [tips] on there," he said. "And when you try them all, it doesn't work. You're looking at all these lessons and Instagrams or whatever, and the next thing you know, you have 120 swing thoughts when you raise your club. I'm saying that because I'm one of them. I think pitchers can do that. I think hitters can do that. We'd like for him to clear it out a little bit and go out there and be himself."
For Leiter, it was mostly to remember to keep it simple.
"Sometimes, it's important to know that, hey, you're here for a reason. You're talented," Bochy said. "Everybody wants to get better and improve, and they're going to listen to a lot of things ... sure, you're going to get coaching, and you're going to listen, but ultimately, it's [about] going out there and doing what you do best and that's to pitch with your stuff, your equipment, and pitch to get to hitters out."
Rangers general manager Chris Young and Bochy are eager to see Leiter this spring. A spot on the Opening Day roster, whether as a starter or reliever, is on the table.
"We have high expectations for him," Young said. "Last year, obviously, there were some ups and downs, but he finished very strong. I'm really excited to see where this goes for Jack. We'll get a lot of looks at him, and whether he's ready at the beginning of the season, or if it's sometime in the first part of the season, it will be determined by him and how well he pitches."
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