The Rangers' No. 1 prospect did something he had not done to that point in his professional career
Jack Leiter, the Texas Rangers’ No. 1 prospect, was roughed up in his most recent outing at Double A Frisco on Tuesday night.
Leiter, who is MLB.com’s No. 15 overall prospect, gave up two home runs in a game for the first time in his career, as Frisco lost to Amarillo.
Leiter pitched five innings, giving up seven hits, seven runs (all earned) and four walks. He also struck out five.
This came after Leiter had a turnaround in his previous two starts. Against Wichita on May 31, he struck out seven, didn’t give up a run and allowed four hits. He threw 93 pitches before he left the game in the seventh inning.
The start before that, on May 26 against San Antonio, he gave up three hits in five innings, while walking one and striking out five.
There have been natural ups-and-downs to Leiter’s first professional season. In two starts on May 14 and May 20, he gave up a total of 13 runs and 13 hits in starts in which he took the loss.
But, in his first five starts, Leiter looked like the pitcher the Rangers are hoping he will be once he gets to the Majors. In his first five starts, he went 1-2 with a 1.93 earned run average and gave up 10 runs (four of which were earned). He also struck out 24 while walking nine. He even stretched himself to six innings in a May 7 start against Arkansas, which turned out to be his first win of the season.
Leiter has now made 10 starts this season and has a 2-5 record in 39 2/3rd innings pitched, with 49 strikeouts and 19 walks. He has a 5.90 earned run average.
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