Top Texas Rangers Pitching Prospect Not Making Progress

The Texas Rangers are in no hurry to get pitching prospect Jack Leiter into game action as he works on mechanical issues.

While pitcher Jack Leiter is still ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the Texas Rangers organization, general manager Chris Young said there is no timeline for his return to the mound, per The Dallas Morning News.

He’s not hurt. But he’s no longer a pitcher the Rangers expect to help them anytime soon.

Leiter last pitched on July 7 against Midland. He threw 1/3 inning and gave up five hits, six runs and two walks. After that, the Rangers put him on the developmental list for the second time this season.

He hasn’t returned to Double-A Frisco, and Young said there is no timetable for him to return. In fact, it’s possible that Leiter doesn’t pitch in another game this season.

Why? Between mechanical issues and the walks he’s allowed in the minors, he’s considered a project now.

“If your swing gets off on timing and direction, you aren’t going to hit the ball as far as you can or as straight as you can,” Young said. “That’s the best comparison I can make. His body wasn’t moving the way it needs to for him to pitch the way he needs to pitch.”

The Rangers made Leiter the No. 2 overall selection in the 2021 Draft, and at the time he was considered one of the most MLB-ready pitchers coming out of college. He’s also the son and nephew of Major League pitchers, and his cousin is a reliever for the Chicago Cubs.

But Leiter’s performance in the minors has been uneven, to say the least. In 38 career games (37 starts) at Frisco, he is 5-15 with a 5.53 ERA. He’s thrown 158 innings, giving up 144 hits and 111 runs (97 earned).

He’s struck out 194 and walked 99, and the walks are of primary concern. He’s allowing more than five walks per nine innings, and even though he’s striking out more than 11 batters per nine innings, the walks are hurting his effectiveness.

While on the developmental list, Leiter has been working in the Rangers’ new pitching biomechanics lab out in Surprise, Ariz., and with minor league pitching coordinator Jordan Tiegs.

The goal is to reform Leiter’s mechanics so that he can return to the minors and continue his journey to the Majors.

But there’s no timeline — and Young says he’s OK with that.

“When we did this, we said we didn’t care how long it took, whether it was three weeks or three months,” Young said. “We did not want to put him in a position where he took two steps forward and then went backwards again. We want to put him in a position to succeed.”

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