Rangers Pitching Prospect Off To Red-Hot Start at Round Rock

The Texas Rangers may finally be ready to get a return from their first-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.

Mar 8, 2024; Surprise, Arizona, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter (71) pitches against | Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Rangers pitching prospect Jack Leiter is off to the hottest start of his professional career with the Triple-A Round Rock Express.

Leiter started on Friday against Albuquerque and struck out 10 hitters in six innings of work, while giving up three hits and three earned runs. He hit a batter but walked none.

That was Leiter’s third appearance of the season, including his second start. He has now thrown 14 1/3 innings and has a 1-1 record with a 3.77 ERA. While it’s early in the season that’s far better than his ERA in either of his first two pro seasons — 5.54 in 2022 and 5.19 in 2023.

He has struck out 25 and walked three.

Jack Leiter ties his career high with 10 strikeouts for the @RRExpress.

The @Rangers' No. 8 prospect is up to 25 K's in 14.1 IP this season: pic.twitter.com/ENMceQCV3b

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 13, 2024

Leiter is the Rangers’ No. 8 overall prospect and was their first-round (No. 2 overall pick) in the 2021 MLB Draft.

But his progress wasn’t as quick as the Rangers had hoped. His struggles with walks and control got to the point where the Rangers moved him to their developmental list last July and kept him there for a month so he could work through those issues.

After he returned to Double-A Frisco on Aug. 27, he gave up two or fewer earned runs in his first five games. That earned him a promotion to Round Rock, where he gave up three earned runs in his only appearance.

But that appeared to do the trick. In his four appearances in September he had a 3.38 ERA and struck out 21 against four walks.