Rangers calling up another top prospect to aid glaring weakness

The Texas Rangers were able to win the 2023 World Series thanks in large part to their starting rotation. Yes, their lineup was among the league's best, but with how subpar their bullpen was, the Rangers needed quality length from their starters and they got it.

As good as things were last season, the Rangers entered the 2024 campaign in a major hole when it came to their rotation. Not only did they let Jordan Montgomery sign a one-year deal with the team they just defeated in the World Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks, but they were set to be without Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Tyler Mahle who began the season on the injured list.

To make matters worse, Cody Bradford, a pitcher who had gotten off to an excellent start this season, just landed on the IL himself with a lower back strain. All these injuries have forced the Rangers to dig deep and promote one of the top prospects in their system, Jack Leiter, who is expected to start Thursday's game in Detroit.

Rangers promote top pitching prospect to aid glaring weakness

It's been a rollercoaster for Jack Leiter since being selected No. 2 overall by the Rangers in the 2021 MLB Draft. He was seen as a can't-miss high-end starting pitcher, but went through several bumps in the road on the way to earning the call-up to the majors. In fact, he has a 5.25 career ERA in his three minor league seasons.

While that ERA might raise some alarm bells, Leiter has pitched better as time progressed. He pitched well to end last season which earned him a late-season promotion to AAA, and he has 25 strikeouts compared to just three walks in his 14.1 innings pitched in 2024.

Whether his improved command will stick at the MLB level or not remains to be seen, but Leiter pitching well in the majors for Texas would be a huge development for them because of where their rotation sits right now.

Nathan Eovaldi is still there, but veterans Andrew Heaney, Jon Gray, and Dane Dunning have had shaky starts to their seasons, and Michael Lorenzen just returned from the IL himself. This Rangers team needed reinforcement, and they hope that their No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline can be just that.