Can Texas Rangers Prospect Finally Have Breakout Season After Marvelous Spring?

The Texas Rangers hoped they landed a future ace in the first round of the 2021 MLB draft, and that may finally be the case after a rocky start to his pro career.

Mar 8, 2024; Surprise, Arizona, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter (71) pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Surprise Stadium. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

When the Texas Rangers selected Jack Leiter out of Vanderbilt University with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft, they hoped they had landed a slam-dunk top-of-the-rotation arm for the long haul.

In the ensuing three years, Leiter showed sparse signs that he was ultimately going to live up to his sky-high potential, owning a career 4.81 ERA in the minor leagues across 60 career appearances.

But Leiter showed up for spring training with a revved up arsenal that more closely reflects the one that gave him can't-miss status as a prospect.

His increased velocity and effectiveness caught the eyes of scouts across the league early on, and it also drew the attention of MLB.com expert David Adler, who included Leiter's spring performance on his list of 15 spring training stat lines that could shape 2025 if they carry over to the regular season.

"He could boom or bust in 2025, but let's make a bet on the 24-year-old finally harnessing his stuff, which has looked better than ever this spring," Adler wrote. "Leiter's rising fastball has averaged over 98 mph (almost two mph harder than it was in his big league debut in 2024) and topped out at 99.9 mph -- faster than any pitch he's thrown in the Majors. His slider velo is also up two ticks to 89 mph, with a 55% whiff rate this spring."

The things Adler notes there have translated to strong outcomes for Leiter this spring. Over 14.2 innings of work, he has struck out 17 opposing batters while posting an ERA of 3.07.

He's likely done enough to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster and start the season as a member of the Rangers' starting rotation, though injuries to Jon Gray and Cody Bradford did make that far more likely.

Leiter's possible emergence is a huge development for Texas in two ways.

First, he significantly ups the ceiling of this year's iteration of the Rangers if he becomes a high-strikeout, run-limiting arm behind veterans Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom. Given the age and injury concerns there, the value there is immense with Gray and Bradford already sidelined.

Also, his improvement would give the Rangers much more certainty in the quality of their rotation down the line. This organization is loaded with young, talented star position players, but none of the team's top pitching prospects have yet to prove that they are a sure thing in the Majors.

Leiter hitting his ceiling would make this team a solid World Series contender in 2025, and it would further cement Texas as one of the teams best set up for the next half decade.

Recommended Articles

•

Texas Rangers Favorite in Tight AL West Race According to MLB Insider

•

Texas Rangers Ace Sets Tone for Starting Rotation in Opening Day Loss

•

Watch: Texas Rangers Shortstop Makes Incredible Play During Opening Day Start

•

Texas Rangers Will Go As Far as Former Cy Young Award Winner Takes Them

•

Texas Rangers Boss Explains Why All-Star is Hitting at DH on Opening Day