Former Vanderbilt star pitcher Jack Leiter will make his Major League debut with the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers on Thursday, the team announced Tuesday.
Leiter, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, is scheduled to start for the Rangers against the Detroit Tigers in Comerica Park.
The 23-year-old Leiter has gotten off to a solid start for Class AAA Round Rock of the Pacific Coast League. He has a 1-1 record with a 3.08 ERA in three starts, and opponents are hitting just .208 against him.
Texas is in need of healthy pitchers, as Cody Bradford, Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mahle have all been dealing with recent injuries.
“He’s been throwing the ball very well down there,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told media on Tuesday. “What a great time to call him up because he’s been throwing well, and again, he’s earned this.
“I told him when he left [spring training] that we’re going to need him, and I loved the way he was throwing. I don’t think anybody thought we’d make the changes we’ve made already pretty early in the season … But still, [Leiter] really came on at the end and was throwing strikes, the command, all that. I’m looking forward to watching him.”
In two seasons at Vanderbilt (2020 and 2021), the 6-1, 205-pound Leiter produced a 13-4 record and 2.08 ERA in 21 starts. He struck out 201 and walked 53 in 125.2 innings for the Commodores, helping Vandy reach the final game of the College World Series in 2021.
Leiter struggled for the better part of his first two seasons in the minors, posting a combined record of 5-16 — with an ERA over 5.00 — in 42 starts for Class AA Round Rock.
But after spending time on the Rangers’ development list late last season, Leiter returned to Frisco and posted a 3.31 ERA in his last four starts, allowing just four walks while striking out 25.
His start to this season has included a 10-strikeout performance against Oklahoma City last Friday, and he has totaled 25 strikeouts while surrendering just three walks in 14.1 innings pitched.
“He’s looked way more comfortable to me,” Bochy said during spring training. “I love his pace, the tempo that he has out there. And he’s throwing strikes. You can see he's different. He's a different pitcher this spring.
“I just really like how he's throwing the ball. I think he's in a good place right now mentally, talking to him. He's got a lot of confidence going in. The command, I think, is much improved.”