2/15/12

The Keepers - #19 - LHRP - Jack Leathersich


19.           LHP    Jack Leathersich: 



The Mets signed their 5th round pick on Sunday, 5-11 LHP Jack Leathersich.

He burst on to the national radar in 2009 with a masterful freshman year as a member of the University of Massachusetts Lowell Riverhawks, going 7-4 with a 2.18 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 70.1 innings pitched. His stellar season earned him Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year honors for 2009. In 2010, Leathersich had a bit of a sophomore slump, compiling a 4.26 ERA to go along with a 3-2 record, but still struck out 62 batters in 57.0 innings pitched. He finished up 2010 by pitching in the Cape Cod League for the Orleans Firebirds. As a member of the bullpen, he put together a 1.71 ERA, striking out 31 in just 21.0 innings. Prior to the 2011 season, Leathersich was named the third-best Division II draft prospect, as well as a pre-season All American. I sat down with Leathersich recently and got the chance to ask him how he has made himself into the pitcher he is today and what the future may hold for him. - http://www.goriverhawks.com/sports/m-ba ... 11aac.htm
www.baseballamerica.com  : - UMass-Lowell's Jack Leathersich has been in the Riverhawks rotation since his freshman year, but he's best suited to pitch out of the bullpen, which is where he had success in the Cape Cod League last summer. An arm-strength lefty, Leathersich struck out 31 batters in 21 innings of relief for Orleans, running his fastball up to 95 mph, while he works at 88-92 as a starter. He shows two fringe-average breaking balls, a slurve and a curveball, but he slows everything down in his delivery on secondary offerings. Scouts have concerns about Leathersich's mechanics, as he throws across his body with recoil and often loses his arm slot. Some talked him up as a potential top-five-rounds selection, but he'll probably be taken in the eighth- to 12th-round range.





From - http://www.minorleagueball.com/2011/6/14/2222649/2011-mlb-draft-new-york-mets-review#storyjump  - 5) Jack Leathersich, LHP, UMass-Lowell: Terrific numbers, hits 95 in short stints, but rough mechanics and problems with breaking ball likely limit him to bullpen work, though he could be overpowering in that role. 1.62 ERA, 126/27 K/BB in 89 IP.



2009:  Highly-regarded sophomore pitcher Jack Leathersich (Beverly, MA) will join the Orleans Firebirds in the upcoming 2010 Cape Cod Baseball League season. Leathersich will become one of only six players in program history to compete in the CCBL, including former 12-year MLB veteran Mike LaValliere.  A famed amateur summer league, the CCBL produced 234 selections in the 2009 MLB Draft and countless major league stars such as the reigning two-time National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum and World Series Champion Mark Teixeira. Leathersich enters the 2010 River Hawk baseball season on the heels of a star-studded freshman campaign. The Beverly native was named Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year and a NEIBA All-Star. Leathersich followed with a fantastic summer league stint where he was named the top prospect in the Valley Baseball League by PG Cross Checker. Leathersich and the rest of the River Hawks will return to action on Feb. 27, when they open their 2010 schedule with a double-header against 2009 NCAA Division II East Regional Championship runner-up Dominican in Petersburg, VA.  - http://www.goriverhawks.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/120309aad.html



2010: - Once Leathersich arrived in Orleans, teammates started calling him "Rocket" for his hard-throwing ways. The lefty didn't have much trouble getting outs either against powerful hitters from more traditional baseball factories like North Carolina, Texas and Rice. Pitching out of the bullpen, Leathersich amassed a 1.71 earned run average while allowing just 14 hits and nine walks in 21 innings. Even more impressive were his strikeout numbers — the power lefty fanned 31 for an average of 13 K's per nine innings. With anywhere from 30-40 Major League scouts at every Cape League game, there's no doubt Leathersich's stock soared faster than Apple's when the iPad launched. Word is the Beverly native should be chosen in the top 10 rounds next spring. - http://www.salemnews.com/sports/x1804459387/Rocket-Launched-Leathersich-enjoys-summer-in-Cape-Cod-League



Harring, who is in his seventh season as UMass-Lowell’s head coach, said dealing with adversity is something Leathersich needed to experience, and something that will help him in the long run. “We had him throwing as high as 95 (mph) in the fall, but I told him guys who can throw that hard are a dime a dozen at the next level,” Harring said. “I think he was pitching to the radar gun, not to the catcher’s mitt. Everybody struggles at some point, and you have to deal with that adversity. In the end, it will be something that benefits him.” Leatherisch, who throws left-handed, said he had straightened things out by the end of the season. He certainly seemed to be his old self by the time he joined the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Orleans Firebirds last summer. Used primarily in a setup role by Orleans, Leathersich posted a 1.71 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 21 innings. Opponents hit .209 against him - http://www.baseballjournal.com/news/2011/03/16_umass-lowell_ace_aims_to_regain.php



7-7-11: - Jack twittered late yesterday afternoon that he would be making his prop debut today, for Brooklyn. 5th rounder… 5-11, 205, LHP out of UMass-Lowell. Had a wonderful freshman season that got him Freshman Of The Year… fastball sits 89-91… two average breaking balls, a sluve and a curve. Scouts were concerned with mechanics… Last year: 89 IP, 55 H, 27 BB, 126 K, 0 HR, 6-2, 1.62 ERA, .175 BAA



8-18-11: - Stock Up – RP Jack Leathersich – Leather pitched 1.2 last night and only had four strikeouts. Poor baby. Seriously, that’s seven relief outings so far this season, for 8.2 innings, and he has 20 strikeouts. Let’s see… 8.2-IP is… 26 outs, 20 of which are whiff. That’s a 58.8-K/PA and a BABIP of .455. Really.

12-7-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com – Massachusetts-Lowell LHP Jack Leathersich didn’t warrant a high ranking from me prior to the draft, but that was mainly because of my personal aversion to future relievers. The Mets using a fifth round selection on him seems a bit rich for my blood. Lefties with low-90s velocity and flashes of a plus breaking ball (slider) don’t go on trees, so I can at least see the logic here. His early pro returns (26 K in 12.2 IP for Brooklyn) are encouraging. UMass-Lowell JR LHP Jack Leathersich (2011): 89-93 FB; plus SL; decent slow CB; 6-0, 190 pounds



12-7-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com  – Florida LHP Alex Panteliodis is like the anti-Jack Leathersich. Besides both players profiling best in relief and having ridiculously awesome names, they couldn’t be less alike. Leathersich is all fastball with an inconsistent slider that looks great when on, awful when off. Panteliodis is more command-oriented and better equipped to throw softer stuff for strikes when backed into a corner. The latter could get a chance to start, but is likely a LOOGY at best in pro ball. Florida JR LHP Alex Panteliodis (2011): good CU; good CB; not overpowering; great FB command



12-28-11 - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/12/mmo-2012-mets-top-prospects-s-21-30.html   - 30.   Jack Leathersich (LHP) The Rocket put up some scintillating numbers in his brief debut at Brooklyn after the Mets took him in the 5th round of the 2011 draft. After throwing 57 innings during the 2011 college season for UMass/Lowell, the Mets used him out of the pen to limit his innings before they had a chance to assign him a workout plan to build strength and stamina. In 12.2 innings in the New York Penn League, the Rocket, throwing mid 90′s gas, struck out 26, while walking only 3, giving up 6 hits, and 1 ER. The plan next year and going forward will be for him to start, and he should be in the mix for the rotation at high-A St. Lucie. If at some point he falters as a starter, the Mets would not hesitate to put him back in the pen, where his fastball picks up a few mph.



1-10-12 - http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/top-15-prospects-new-york-mets/   - 13. Jack Leathersich, LHP: After spending time as a starter in college, Leathersich moved to the bullpen in pro ball and instantly saw his stuff play up. The hurler has a solid fastball in the 91-95 mph range and also flashes an above-average curveball. He’s an example of great scouting by the organization and it will be interesting to see if his success during his pro debut will spill over into 2012. If it does, he could move quickly through the system.



1-20-12 - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2012/01/prospect-pulse-the-2012-st-lucie-mets.html   Jack Leathersich (SP5) - Another candidate for the fifth starter spot is Leathersich who, like Goeddel, could wind up in the Savannah rotation, or even the bullpen. The left-handed Leathersich throws hard, mid-90′s out of the pen, but he has to dial it down a bit to maintain his stuff late into games as a starter. Like with the other 2011 draftee’s in this rotation, it will be very interesting to see what Leathersich can do if he starts for a full season.



1-30-12 - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/30/2757346/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects-21-30  LHP Jack Leathersich - The Mets 2011 fifth rounder selection out of DII UMass-Lowell, Leathersich absolutely blew away the competition in his short pro debut. Yes you're reading those numbers right, he struck out 26 of the 47 batters he faced. 55% of them. That's an otherworldly 18.47 K/9. Obviously 12+ innings is a short sample and we can't get too overexcited but that's pretty much best case scenario for any short debut. And that was after striking out 126 in 89 innings this spring as a junior. Leathersich is a 21-yr old lefty who isn't exactly the tallest but has a sturdy 5'11", 205 lbs build. He is known for a his mid-90's heat as well as a bit of an unorthodox delivery -- like many undersized lefties with such velocity. He also throws an inconsistent yet promising curve. Before bolting for San Diego, Mets former scouting director Chad Macdonald stated that though he made his debut in relief the team will consider Leathersich as a starter based on the promise of his secondary offerings. I'd say it's probably doubtful that he sticks as a starter long-term but it's not hard to imagine Leathersich in a role similar to Kansas City rookie reliever Tim Collins.



2-2-12 - http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/35-lhp-jack-leathersich/  - 2011: It is nearly impossible to have a better professional debut than Jack Leathersich did for the Cyclones, when he struck out over half the batters he faced. After pitching to a 1.62 ERA with 126 strikeouts against 27 walks in 89 innings for Umass Lowell, the Mets held Leathersich’s innings down by working him one inning out of the bullpen every five days.  The starter’s schedule also allowed him to throw a bullpen and a side between appearances

No comments: