Top Texas Rangers Prospects Start For Frisco Opening Weekend

The Double-A Frisco RoughRiders will start two of the Texas Rangers organization’s brightest prospects when they open their home schedule on Thursday.

The Riders announced that Jack Leiter will start Thursday’s opener and that Owen White will start Friday’s game. Frisco begins defense of its Texas League title by playing host to Amarillo.

Per MLB.com, White is the Rangers’ No. 3 overall prospect, while Leiter is No. 5. The pair will likely move up a spot when Rangers third baseman Josh Jung graduates from the rankings in the next few weeks.

Leiter was the Rangers’ first-round pick in 2021 (No. 2 overall) and went 3-10 with a 5.54 ERA in 23 games (22 starts) at Frisco in his first professional season. He struck out 109 and walked 56, while opponents batted .246. He played in the MLB Futures Game at Dodger Stadium last July.

The Rangers hope Leiter is able to be more consistent this season as he is one of several arms the team hopes will join the Majors in the next two seasons.

White did not struggle last season at either High Class-A Hickory or Frisco. Overall he went 9-2 with a 3.59 ERA in 15 appearances (14 starts). He struck out 104, walked 23 and allowed hitters to bat .233.

When White was promoted to Frisco in July, he was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week after his first start. White sat for a good portion of the rest of the season with an injury. He did throw two perfect innings of relief and struck out all six hitters in the Riders’ Texas League-clinching victory.

The Rangers drafted White out of high school in 2018 and paid $1.5 million to sign the second-round pick.

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