What appeared as though it might turn out to be a strong point for the Texas Rangers Entering the 2025 regular season swiftly became a possible minefield.
In spring training, their starting pitching depth appeared to be a significant asset to count on throughout the lengthy season. In today’s game, it’s uncommon for an entire rotation to remain fit, highlighting the importance of having at least six or seven pitchers ready to take the mound as starters when needed.
Creating that depth was crucial for the Rangers since they relied heavily on several key players coming back from injuries.
Since 2019, Jacob deGrom has not exceeded 15 starts in a single season. Similarly, Tyler Mahle managed just three starts last year after totaling 31 across the preceding three seasons.
Therefore, upon learning that Jon Gray and Cody Bradford would both begin the season on the injured list, worries arose.
This indicated that young players Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter would start in the rotation on Opening Day, with each facing distinct challenges.
After completing his last season at Vanderbilt in 2021, Rocker pitched for approximately 110.1 innings. In 2024, Leiter had his debut in the Majors but faced tough opposition, ending up with an 8.83 ERA due to control issues and allowing numerous home runs.
Sadly, that iteration of Leiter seems to belong to an older era.
He entered spring training afterward. implementing significant alterations during the off-season , and they started receiving returns immediately.
The second overall selection in the 2021 MLB Draft appeared transformed as he unveiled a fresh pitch in his repertoire. During the preseason, he pitched for 20.2 innings, registering a 3.48 ERA along with 21 strikeouts.
Strolls remained somewhat problematic since he doled out 10 walks, equating to a 4.4BB/9 rate. However, he showed improvement by keeping the ball within the confines of the field, surrendering just a single homer.
The improvement he demonstrated throughout those matches has seamlessly transitioned into the regular season, with Leiter surpassing every expectation set for him.
He has started against the opposition. Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds , pitching 10 innings of one-run ball with 10 strikeouts, one walk, and no home runs allowed.
The performances are legitimate , since his Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) stands at a robust 1.15, indicating excellent performance across various metrics. Batters are finding it difficult to connect properly with his pitches; they have managed only an average exit velocity of 84.8 mph and their hard-hit rate has dropped to 20.0%, significantly lower than last year’s figures which were 90.4 mph for exit velocity and 45.0% for hard-hit rate.
The problem with Leiter was never about his ability; he simply required some time to adjust after being rapidly advanced through the minor league system.
It appears he has accomplished this, which could lead to tough choices for both the management team and coaches when the other starting pitchers are fit enough to come back into rotation.
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The article was initially posted on www.si.com/mlb/rangers as Young Starter for the Texas Rangers Surpassing Hopes at the Beginning of theSeason .
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