Former first-round draft pick Jack Leiter could get an opportunity to open the season in the Texas Rangers’ rotation after an injury to veteran starter Jon Gray. Leiter is looking to bounce back from a rough MLB debut last season and the new pitch he added could help him stick in the majors.
Leiter added a sinker to his arsenal, a move he felt was necessary to keep hitters off balance.
“Obviously hitters are really good at hitting fastballs now. And it doesn’t really matter how hard you throw, if they have a good idea it’s coming, they’re going to hit it hard a lot of the time. So a lot of pitchers are starting to create more deception with an extra fastball,” Leiter explained via the Texas Rangers official account on X.
“So, just understanding that it’s making the hitter’s job a little bit harder when you have other fastballs moving in different ways,” he added.
Can Jack Leiter be a difference maker for the Rangers in 2025?
Leiter is the 24-year-old son of former MLB pitcher Al Leiter. He had a shaky debut with the Rangers last April and was quickly sent back to the minors. Leiter bounced back and forth between both levels all season, ultimately making nine appearances for Texas, including six starts.
Unfortunately, it was a rocky beginning to his big league career. Leiter had an 8.83 ERA, 1.710 WHIP and 31 strikeouts in 35.2 innings last year. However, he performed far better in Triple-A, where he had a 3.51 ERA and a 12.9 K/9 over 77 innings pitched.
The Rangers took Leiter with the second overall pick in the 2021 draft and the team believes he can eventually become a top of the rotation starter. But this year, Leiter could end up in a surprising role. After losing Kirby Yates in free agency this offseason, Texas doesn’t have a defined closer on the roster. And the team could decide to move Leiter into that spot.
Leiter did get some bullpen experience in 2024, making three relief appearances. And, although the Rangers envision him as a starter long term, he could fill the void at closer this year. Either way, Leiter’s new sinker will play a role in his transition to the majors.
“It’s a little difference, enough to get off the barrel. And it’s not a swing and miss pitch but it’s a pitch that creates weak contact, creates uncertainty in the hitter because it’s another pitch they have to look for. So, it’s made pitching just a little bit easier,” Leiter said.
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