Should Early Struggles by José Leclerc Concern Texas Rangers?

Texas Rangers closer José Leclerc has had some early season struggles. Should the club be worried moving forward?

Kade Kistner | Apr 14, 2023

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Coming into the 2023 MLB season, the Texas Rangers brass was reluctant to name a closer. They didn't want to define any roles as they had plenty of pitchers in the bullpen who could handle duties in the ninth inning.

Will Smith, Ian Kennedy, Jonathan Hernández and José Leclerc are all viable closer options for manager Bruce Bochy.

And someone is bound to be called on this weekend, as the Rangers (7-5) open a key series against the defending champion Houston Astros (6-7) on Friday night at Minute Maid Park.

On Opening Day, Leclerc was turned to first to mop up the remaining Philadelphia Phillies batters in the ninth of an 11-7 victory. It wasn't a save situation, but the fact he was tabbed on the season's first day appeared to be a precursor for things to come.

The Rangers have had three save opportunities this season. The first was April 2 against the Phillies, April 5 against the Baltimore Orioles and April 11 with the Kansas City Royals.

Smith actually converted the first opportunity, but Leclerc was turned to the next two times.

Against the Orioles, Leclerc cruised to a perfect inning with a strikeout. It was a better performance from his Opening Day outing when he gave up a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning.

His next outing was against the Chicago Cubs in a blowout 8-2 win. He struck out two without allowing a baserunner.

Then the blown save against the Royals occurred. Leclerc gave up a hit and walked two in 1 1/3 innings and gave up an 9-8 lead.

"You hate to see him not quite command the zone the way he would like," said Bochy. "He’s had a couple of those outings and, you know, he's had some really good ones.

"But ... he kept his poise and he got a huge double play. That’s a big run not to give up. It seems to be a little bit of who he is sometimes, he’ll lose it there for a hitter or so. But he did reset and made a great pitch.”

As Bochy pointed out, Leclerc has been prone to giving up hits or walking batters in big situations. He has had success in recovering from those mistakes, but they do lead to situations like the one against the Royals.

Allowing even a single base runner allows the opposing team to change the tide of the game with one swing of the bat.

Leclerc is no stranger to blown saves. During the 2019 MLB season Leclerc gave up the lead in four games. He also had a blown save against the Seattle Mariners in his final appearance last season.

The righty is a talented pitcher with incredible stuff. His splitter/changeup pitch routinely baffles the opposing batters. But his propensity to walk hitters or give up untimely hits leaves room for concern.

Every closer blows a save. But Leclerc leaves Texas walking on eggshells when he takes the mound in big situations.

His inconsistency is putting the Rangers closing situation in flux. A scenario the Rangers would like to avoid going forward as they eye postseason contention.

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Published Apr 14, 2023

KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies, Cubs and Astros. He is also an editor for Inside the Rangers. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.