Latest gem shows Rangers' top pitching prospect might be ready to rejoin MLB

Jack Leiter had a rough introduction to the big leagues over the spring, going 0-1 with a 16.39 ERA and 2.57 WHIP in 9 1/3 innings across his first three MLB starts.

After his demotion to the Triple-A Round Rock Express in mid-May, the 24-year-old followed with a few uneven outings but has since been lights out.

During a 4-3 loss against the Albuquerque Isotopes on Thursday night, Leiter's latest gem put him in rare company.

The former No. 2 overall pick only pitched 3 2/3 innings on Thursday night against the Isotopes but was nearly untouchable. Leiter finished his performance by allowing just one run on one hit with one walk and 11 strikeouts. All outs he recorded were via the punchout.

"As a starter to do that and get 11 strikeouts, I’ve never seen that before. Pretty good chance I never will," Express pitching coach Dave Borkowski, per MLB.com's Melanie Martinez-Lopez .

The son of former two-time All-Star starting pitcher Al Leiter has gone 4-1 over his last eight starts with Round Rock. During the stretch, Leiter has allowed no more than five hits or three runs and has been particularly lethal in his three most recent games. Leiter has surrendered just four runs on 11 hits during the span across 13 2/3 innings while posting 21 strikeouts against five walks.

He has little left to prove in the minors, so he should be strongly considered for a promotion, especially with Texas all but out of the playoff hunt .

The New York Yankees initially selected the younger Leiter in the 20th round of the 2019 draft but elected to enroll at Vanderbilt and play with the Commodores. His first season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and he returned to the team's starting rotation in 2021 as a redshirt freshman.

Leiter paired with fellow Rangers pitching prospect Kumar Rocker atop a dominant Vanderbilt staff to lead the program to that year's College World Series, where they lost to Mississippi State. Leiter was a consensus First-Team All-American, earned the SEC Newcomer of the Year Award and was named to the All-Tournament Team as the lone representative from his team.

After the Rangers selected him second overall in 2021, he spent the 2022 campaign with the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders. Leiter pitched with the RoughRiders and Triple-A Round Rock Express in 2023.