Rangers send top prospect Jack Leiter down to minors after rough first start

The Texas Rangers came into 2024 with a bit of a different pitching staff. While they still had the rock-steady Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer started the year on the IL. They were in need of some arms, so they made a big move and called up the 2021 second overall pick, Jack Leiter.

Leiter was considered one of the better pitching prospects in recent memory. In his one full season at Vanderbilt, Leiter threw 110 innings to the tune of a 2.13 ERA and tied with his teammate, Kumar Rocker, for the NCAA Division 1 lead in strikeouts. He also threw a no-hitter against South Carolina, in which he struck out 16 batters.

In college, the right hander was a strike thrower. But when he got to pro ball, things changed. The Rangers immediately sent him to Double-A Frisco after he signed and the struggles began. He was still striking out batters at a good rate, with a 10.9 K/9, but he walked 5.4 batters per nine and finished the season with a 5.54 ERA in 22 starts.

He lost his fastball command, and that didn't change in 2023. He began the year at Double-A, where he started 19 games, striking out 12.1 batters per nine, but still struggling with the walks at a 5.2 per nine clip. He even spent some time on the development list to work on his mechanics. Eventually, he was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock after posting a 5.07 ERA and gave up three runs in 3.1 innings in his lone start.

The PCL is a notoriously tough league to pitch in, but Leiter looked like he was making the most of it through three appearances this year. He posted a 3.77 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 14.1 innings, but more importantly, only three walks. His command looked improved, so the Rangers called him up for his debut to bring some help to the rotation.

Jack Leiter's rough debut for the Rangers

Thursday marked the much-awaited debut of the newest Leiter to pitch in the big leagues. It started off as perfectly as it could, with him striking out the first batter he faced on three pitches. He struck out two in the first, but from there, it completely unraveled.

He allowed four runs in the second, which tied the game, and then in the fourth he allowed three more runs, tying it back up at seven. His final line was 3.2 innings in which he allowed eight hits and seven runs, striking out three. The lack of command reared it's ugly head as well, as he walked three batters in those 3.2 innings.

While the stuff looked good, he still had command issues and the fastball got hit around.

Leiter still has the tools to become a good pitcher in the Rangers future. According to MLB Pipeline, both his fastball and slider are a 60 on the 20-80 scale, which means it's a plus pitch. If he can fix the 40-grade control, it could be quick turnaround for the pitcher we all saw dominate the SEC.

After the start, Leiter was optioned back to Triple-A and they recalled Owen White, another of their top pitching prospects. The team is clearly looking for a steady arm to slide into the rotation, and Leiter failed his tryout. It's not the end of the line, though, as his stuff will continue to keep him in the running.

If you're keeping an eye on Leiter's Triple-A stats, don't pay too much attention to the ERA. The PCL is a hitters league and the ERA numbers are never pretty. Watch the walk numbers, and if Leiter continues to show improvements in that area, it might not be too long until we see him in the majors again.