The Texas Rangers have gotten off to a so-so start in the 2024 MLB season. The defending World Series champions are 9-8 out of the gate as they deal with several high-profile players being on the injured list.
Third baseman Josh Jung and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe are huge losses to their everyday lineup. On the pitching staff, they are down their two aces, Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom, along with Cody Bradford, Josh Sborz, Jonathan Hernandez and Tyler Mahle.
Navigating that many injuries certainly isn’t easy, as the Rangers depth is being tested right away. However, they have held up well enough to be in first place in the AL West to this point and there are reinforcements on the way.
The pitching staff is set to receive a major boost in the form of top prospect Jack Leiter. The son of former Major League pitcher Mark Leiter will be making his Major League debut later this week against the Detroit Tigers.
Leiter is set to start on Thursday in what will be an exciting night for him and the team. The second overall pick in the 2021 MLB Amateur Draft out of Vanderbilt, Leiter has impressed at the Triple-A level this season.
In 14.1 innings pitched, Leiter has racked up 25 strikeouts with only three walks. He has made two starts and one relief appearance with Round Rock, recording a 3.73 ERA along the way. Leiter is the No. 8 prospect in the Rangers’ farm system and No. 3 pitcher.
Three of the players ahead of him, outfielders Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford and infielder Justin Foscue, are already on the Major League roster. Leiter struggled in his first two seasons in the minor leagues, but the potential is there for him to develop into a high-end starting pitcher.
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