Former Top Draft Pick Turning Heads For Texas Rangers Because of Major Changes

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter is generating significant buzz at spring training because of his vastly improved repertoire, according to a recent article from ESPN.

In his first outing, he sat at 98 mph, touched 100 and lived at the top of the zone, a necessity for the pitch's effectiveness. While Leiter's fastball got wrecked in 2024, evaluators see the extra velocity as a game changer. The pitch has well-above-average vertical break, meaning it drops less than a typical heater, giving it a rising effect. Perhaps even more impressive to scouts is the depth Leiter is getting on his new kick change, an increasingly popular variation of the pitch

10 players MLB scouts are buzzing about... These potential breakout stars are drawing rave reviews early in spring training.https://t.co/rme0vlqcxL
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 5, 2025

Leiter, 24, is the son of former big-leaguer Al Leiter. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Vanderbilt and helped lead the Commodores to a College World Series appearance 2021.

To the articles point, Leiter had a rough introduction to the big leagues, going 0-3 with a 8.83 ERA in 2024. He made nine appearances (six starts), striking out 31 batters over 35.2 innings.

He's also generally struggled in the minors, going 11-20 with a 4.81 ERA over parts of three seasons, however, perhaps the new pitch mix can give him newfound success.

The Rangers lost Max Scherzer and Andrew Heaney in the offseason but it still doesn't appear that Leiter will begin the year in the big-league rotation. That said, he might not be far behind, as he and Kumar Rocker represent nice depth options in the minor leagues.

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