Inside The Rangers

Insider Says Texas Rangers Young Intriguing Arm Has Earned Rotation Spot

The Texas Rangers are going to need their young arms to step up in the wake of injury.

Michael Brauner

Sep 20, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter (35) throws a pitch against the Seattle Mariners in the fourth inning at Globe Life Field.
Sep 20, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter (35) throws a pitch against the Seattle Mariners in the fourth inning at Globe Life Field. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
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The Texas Rangers are less than a week from Opening Day, they and are going to need some new faces to step up in the pitching department after the spring has not been kind.

Right-hander Jon Gray and left-hander Cody Bradford are both dealing with issues which are going to keep them out for the foreseeable future.

As a result, the Rangers signed veteran innings-eating specialist Patrick Corbin to a one-year contract in order to shoulder some of the load, but they will also need production from within if they are going to weather the storm and get back to the postseason after missing the playoffs entirely last year coming off their first World Series title in franchise history.

One player who is going to need to step up is high-profile prospect Jack Leiter.

Though it was a question entering camp as to whether he was going to have a spot on the roster, both a strong performance this spring and a desperate need for starters has put him in a strong position.

"[Leiter] clearly with the spring that he's had, and obviously they've had a few injuries, has definitely, I think, earned a spot in this rotation to be able to continue his start to his big league career," Alex Avila of MLB Network said on the young right-hander, pointing out his uptick in velocity and seemingly more dangerous arsenal.

Making his debut in the back end of the 2024 season, Leiter had a rough go of it last year.

Over nine total appearances and two starts, the 24-year-old pitched to a 8.83 ERA and 1.71 WHIP, striking out just 31 batters in 35.2 innings pitched which was a way lower rate than he had in Triple-A.

In 17 appearances for Round Rock during the 2024 campaign, Leiter had posted a 3.51 ERA and 1.260 WHIP with 110 strikeouts in just 77 innings.

He has come in this spring and looks a whole lot closer to the Triple-A version of himself than the one who struggled to make the transition to the big leagues.

In 14.2 innings over five appearances, including two starts this spring, Leiter has put up a 3.07 ERA with 17 strikeouts, looking more dominant and more comfortable than Texas fans had seen him thus far.

Of course, his opportunity comes with the team needing arms, though there is a very good chance he would have made the starting rotation even if nobody was dealing with injuries.

Now, Leiter will try to make the most of this shot, not only to benefit his career, but also to be a critical piece in helping the team win ballgames and get back to the place they were two years ago before the setback season they had last year.

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Michael Brauner
MICHAEL BRAUNER

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