Texas Rangers' Top Prospect Overcomes Scary Moment To Make Season Debut on Friday

Jack Leiter, currently ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the organization, was hit on the head by a ball on Thursday.

Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter (35) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in 2024. | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers dropped the opener on Thursday, losing to the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. The two teams will take the field again on Friday, with Rangers' top prospect Jack Leiter getting the ball on the mound.

He's currently the No. 3 prospect in the organization, according to MLB.com.

He's in the rotation because of injuries to Cody Bradford and Jon Gray. Kumar Rocker, his old teammate at Vanderbilt, will also be in the rotation.

However, Leiter was part of a scary incident on Thursday before the opener, according to Jeff Wilson.

One other note before the opener: Jack Leiter was hit on the top of his head during batting practice by a flyball. took him for an evaluation, but he quickly returned. He's scheduled to start Friday.

One other note before the opener: Jack Leiter was hit on the top of his head during batting practice by a flyball. #Rangers took him for an evaluation, but he quickly returned. He's scheduled to start Friday.

— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilsonTXR) March 27, 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.

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. However, his velocity has increased this spring, with him able to pump in the upper-90s and 100 MPH. Because of that velocity, some think he'll make a good reliever some day, but he'll get another crack in the rotation on Friday.

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