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Growing up, we all dreamt of playing the big leagues, probably with a great debut that made us a hero to the fans. Texas Rangers pitching prospect Jack Leiter got that debut opportunity on Wednesday, but it didn’t go as planned.
The son of former star pitcher Al Leiter was the second-overall pick of the Texas Rangers in 2021 as a highly hyped pitcher out of Vanderbilt. Despite maybe not living up to those expectations in the minor leagues so far and seeing his star dim a little bit, Rangers fans were still excited to see him against the Rangers.
All they saw was some very bad big-league pitching. Leiter got lit up, lasting 3 2/3 innings, giving up 8 hits, 7 earned runs, with three walks and three strikeouts.
That’s, uh, not good. He finished with an ERA of 17.18, not the number he wanted coming into the game.
There were some bright spots, though. At times, Jack Leiter showed some electric stuff.
Jack Leiter's 1st MLB Strikeout.
3 Pitch K. pic.twitter.com/Tuv7R75ddS
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 18, 2024
Jack Leiter, Wicked 89mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/P3ptFXaq14
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 18, 2024
But, the numbers don’t lie. That was a terrible outing. Leiter, who will turn 24 next week, has an entire career to improve. But, it’s undeniable that someone who was once billed as the next big thing certainly doesn’t look like that right now.
Ironically, the Rangers won anyway, topping the Tigers, 9-7.