Jack Leiter

Raised in Summit, New Jersey, Leiter attended Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, where he played baseball and was teammates with Anthony Volpe.[1][2] In July 2018, he played in the 2018 Under Armour All-America Baseball Game.[3] In December, he played on the USA Baseball 18U National Team in Panama City during the 2018 COPABE Pan-American Championships, helping Team USA win a gold medal.[4] As a senior at Delbarton in 2019, he was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of New Jersey.[5][6] At the time of his selection, he was 6–0 with a 0.54 ERA while also batting .364.[7] Leiter was considered a top prospect for the 2019 Major League Baseball draft, but due to his strong commitment to Vanderbilt University, was not selected until the 20th round by the New York Yankees.[8][9][10] He did not sign and instead enrolled at Vanderbilt to play college baseball.[11][12]

In his college debut on February 18, 2020, Leiter pitched five no-hit innings while striking out 12, leading Vanderbilt to a 3–0 victory over the University of South Alabama.[13][14][15] He was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Co-Freshman of the Week following the performance.[16][17] Over 152⁄3 innings, Leiter went 2–0 with a 1.72 ERA before the college baseball season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[18] As a redshirt freshman in 2021, Leiter returned as a member of Vanderbilt's starting rotation.[19] On March 20, 2021, he pitched a no-hitter in his SEC debut against South Carolina, compiling sixteen strikeouts.[20] In his next start, he pitched seven no-hit innings against Missouri.[21] He was named the SEC Newcomer of the Year alongside being selected a consensus first-team All-American.[22][23] He helped lead Vanderbilt to the 2021 College World Series finals and was named to the All-Tournament team.[24] Leiter ended the 2021 season having started 18 games, in which he compiled an 11–4 record, a 2.13 ERA, and 179 strikeouts over 110 innings.[25] He was named the Baseball America 2021 Freshman of the Year.[26]

Leiter was selected by the Texas Rangers with the second overall selection in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft.[27][28][29] Leiter signed with Texas on July 28, 2021, receiving a $7.92 million signing bonus.[30][31] Leiter attended an organization draftee orientation at the Rangers spring training complex after signing, but did not appear in a professional game in 2021, instead choosing to return to Vanderbilt to continue college course work.[32]

Leiter opened the 2022 season with the Frisco RoughRiders of the Double-A Texas League.[33] He made his professional debut on April 9, going three innings while allowing one run and striking out seven batters.[34][35] He was selected to represent the Rangers at the 2022 All-Star Futures Game.[36] Over 23 games (22 starts) with Frisco, Leiter went 3-10 with a 5.54 ERA, 56 walks, and 109 strikeouts over 922⁄3 innings.[37] He received a non-roster invitation to major league spring training in 2023,[38] and returned to Frisco to open the season.[39]

Leiter's father, Al Leiter, pitched in MLB for 19 seasons.[40] His uncle Mark Leiter also played in MLB, and his cousin, Mark Leiter Jr., currently plays professional baseball.[41]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Vanderbilt Commodores bio