DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - The future of the Texas Rangers starting rotation just got much brighter.
The Rangers selected Vanderbilt pitcher Jack Leiter with the second overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft on Sunday night.
"I'm very excited about this pick. This is the guy I wanted," said 105.3 The Fan's Rangers insider Jared Sandler. "This is a great acquisition for the Rangers. He's going to add to what is already a group of young pitchers in the system that has an arrow that is pointing up in a big way. Guys like (Cole) Winn, (Hans) Crouse, (Ronny) Henriquez, (Jonathan) Hernandez, (Yerry) Rodriguez, Cole Ragans, Ricky Vanasco - This is a really good group and Jack Leiter is obviously going to add to it."
You can hear the rest of Sandler's thoughts in the video above.
Leiter, 21, has pitched the last two seasons at Vanderbilt University. In his sophomore season in 2021, he went 11-4 with a 2.13 ERA (26 ER/110.0 IP) over 18 games/starts, averaging 14.6 strikeouts per 9 innings with a 0.845 WHIP figure while holding opponents to a .129/.242/.250/.492 (48-372) slash line with 179 strikeouts and 45 walks.
His 179 strikeouts tied teammate Kumar Rocker to led all of NCAA Division I this past season, and he also ranked among circuit leaders in innings (2nd), starts (T3rd), strikeouts per 9 innings (4th), and WHIP (7th).
Listen to Dallas sports talk now on Audacy and shop the latest Rangers team gear
Leiter was the winning pitcher in the Commodores’ only victory in the 2021 College World Series Finals in Omaha, an 8-2 Game 1 win over Mississippi State on June 28 in his last outing of the season (6.0 IP, 3 H, 2-ER, 3 BB, 8 SO).
A finalist for the 2021 Golden Spikes Award that will be presented this month, Leiter was selected as Southeastern Conference Newcomer of the Year as well as All-SEC First Team this season. The New Jersey native attended high school at Delbarton School in Morristown, where he was the 2019 New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year as well as an Under Armour All-American.
Jack is the son of former MLB All-Star Al Leiter, a left-handed pitcher who saw action in 19 Major League seasons before becoming a TV broadcaster and analyst in his post-playing career.
The Rangers have now selected a college player with the club’s first overall pick for three straight years, as Leiter follows third baseman Josh Jung (eighth overall in 2019 out of Texas Tech University) and second baseman Justin Foscue (14th overall in 2020 out of Mississippi State University). Leiter is the first pitcher selected by the Rangers with the club’s first overall pick since right-hander Cole Winn was selected 15th overall in 2018.
Leiter will be the Rangers’ only selection on the first night of this year’s draft. The draft continues on Monday, July 12 at 12 noon CT with rounds 2-10 and concludes on Tuesday, July 13 beginning at 11:00 a.m. CT with rounds 11-20. Texas will have the second pick in each of Rounds 2-20.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram