Who will fill the open spot in the Rangers' rotation?
SURPRISE, Ariz. (KFDX/KJTL) — We are two weeks away from opening day at Globe Life Field. And that means manager Bruce Bochy has some decisions to make as far as who will make the team.
Decisions, such as nailing down a starting rotation.
Texas Rangers set sights on World Series with high hopes
Jacob Degrom was scratched from his start Thursday, March 13, as he is battling some sort of stomach bug.
Tyler Mahle was scratched from his start Tuesday, but he returned to throwing on the backfields Wednesday.
Cody Bradford was scratched from his start Tuesday with elbow soreness. Bochy said Wednesday morning that Bradford would start the season on the injured list.
That opens a spot in the rotation.
Bochy won't commit, but he's hinting Jack Leiter will get the opportunity.
Fans can be impatient, but managers — at least good ones — have learned sometimes you just have to play the waiting game.
'Growth happens in different ways. You know the speed of it with players,' Bochy said, referring to players like Leiter, the 24-year-old pitcher who was taken second overall in the 2021 draft.
Leiter's major league debut didn't go well in 2024. He had six starts in nine appearances, three losses, zero wins and an 8.83 earned run average with the Big League club. But his success at the minor league level was prominent.
'We've seen that a lot of times, but you look at the body of work at the PCL and Triple-A level, how well he threw the ball, and you know, pitcher of the year,' Bochy said. 'So, he just continues to improve. And that's what we think we'll see this spring.'
As 2024 pitcher of the year in the Pacific Coast League, Leiter struck out 110 batters in 77 innings for the Round Rock Express. Opponents hit just .217 against him.
Now it's just a matter of getting his minor league performance to translate in the big leagues.
His dad, Al Leiter, won 162 games in the majors. He didn't hit his stride until he was 30. Dad had to learn to control, something Jack is now experiencing.
Now, it's just a matter of when it will all come together.
'When you have a father that's had the career that he's had in the major leagues, that's a wealth of knowledge; he's helped his growth, ' Bochy said. 'I mean, he said he was a number one pick. You know, not just because of talent, but probably because of, you know, being coached by his father. That's invaluable.'
Also invaluable is adding a new pitcher to your repertoire.
'I really think we're going to see some good things from Jack this spring,' Bochy said. 'He has come up with a Two Seam he's working on, you know, that's in the early stages. And that's a pitch that you know he wants he wants to be able to use and run in on righties. That's another weapon for him.'
Whether that weapon is on display in Round Rock or in Arlington, be patient. Something great lies ahead.
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