Round Rock RHP Jack Leiter Promoted to Texas

ROUND ROCK, Texas – Welcome to The Show, Jack! The Texas Rangers announced that the club selected the contract of Round Rock Express RHP Jack Leiter on Thursday morning. Leiter is scheduled to start today against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park at 12:10 p.m. CT.

Leiter opened the 2024 season with the E-Train and appeared in three games with two starts. He posted a 3.77 ERA (6 ER/14.1 IP) and issued only three walks. He is second in the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts with 25. In two of his three appearances, Leiter did not issue a walk. Only once in 20 starts last year did Leiter not allow a walk.

In his first outing of the year, Leiter moved to a bullpen role as Texas Rangers RHP Michael Lorenzen was making a Major League rehab start for the Express. Leiter entered in the fourth inning and went 5.0 innings while allowing only two earned runs with two hits, zero walks and nine strikeouts. Leiter retired the first 13 he faced and at one point struck out five consecutive batters.

He took the bump in a starting role for the first time on a windy, 59-degree night against the El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres) on April 6. He tossed 3.1 innings and earned the loss after allowing two runs, one earned run, three walks and six strikeouts.

His last start came against the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (Los Angeles Dodgers) on April 12 at Dell Diamond. In 6.0 innings, Leiter allowed three earned runs with six hits and 10 strikeouts. In the second inning, he tossed his fastest pitch of the season against Baseball Club INF Chris Owings when he fired a 98.2-mph missile for a strikeout. His 10 strikeouts tied a career high as he struck out every Oklahoma City batter at least once in the game.

After pitching his first two years primarily with Double-A Frisco, Leiter earned his promotion to Triple-A on September 23, 2023. He tossed 3.1 innings with eight hits, three earned runs, two walks and four strikeouts against the Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners affiliate) at Cheney Stadium in his first and only taste of Triple-A last year.

Leiter was selected as the second overall selection in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt University. He grew up in Summit, New Jersey where he went on to win New Jersey Gatorade High School Player of the Year at Delbarton School. His father, Al, pitched 19 seasons in the Major Leagues and was a two-time World Series Champion.

Leiter joins Express teammates INF Justin Foscue, INF Davis Wendzel and RHP Cole Winn to all log their first Major League action in the first month of the 2024 season. In 2023, Round Rock did not have four players make their Major League debuts until August 7.

Round Rock and Sugar Land continue their six-game series on Thursday night from Constellation Field with first pitch for game three of the series set for 6:35 p.m. CT. The Express have yet to name a starting pitcher while Space Cowboys RHP Rhett Kouba (1-1, 2.45) is slated to start. For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!