Tom Brennan - Majoring on the Minors: Top 30 Prospects - #11 Jack Leathersich

MAJORING ON THE MINORS: TOP 30 PROSPECTS – #11 JACK LEATHERSICH - VOL.20 – Tom Brennan

I’m doing my Top 30 Prospects articles a bit differently – in 2 lists:

·       A top 10 list of lower minors guys who likely won’t show up until 2017 or later.  Already done. See list at end of this article. 

·       Followed by my top 20 list of guys who are closing in on the big leagues.  Guys who could help in the near future or be trade bait. 

Here is the list so far:

20.   Daniel Muno

19.   Michael Fulmer

18.   Miller Diaz

17.   Dario Alvarez

16.   Jayce Boyd

15.   Rob Whalen

14.   Hansel Robles

13.   Gabriel Ynoa

12.   Gavin Cecchini

Today, for selection #11 in my ‘seasoned’ prospect Top 20 list, I go with a long time favorite of mine:

JACK LEATHERSICH

Surely most baseball organizations have their talented enigmas. 

Guys who you feel should do better sooner. 

For the Mets, Cesar Puello certainly qualifies.  

On the pitching side of the rubber, Jack Leathersich has earned "enigma status."  Strikeout Jack has averaged over 15.2 strikeouts per 9 since turning pro after being drafted in the 5th round of 2011.  

Very hard to fathom such a prodigious rate.  But he is a lefty enigma, who dominates righties but not lefties; walks close to 5 per 9 innings, a formula for failure if replicated in the big leagues; and has not found AAA PCL baseball to be anything but a nightmare to date.

But with Jack, the high Ks, and success as a lefty vs. righties, are real positive signs of a future in the big leagues.

Leather Man, please figure out how to also dominate lefties, cut the walks, and you could be a long term bullpen asset.  Up to Jack to clear those final hurdles.  It seems he closed the gap a lot on lefties in 2014.  Keep getting better.  Be Andrew Miller, not Ollie Perez.

Hurry, Jack, we can always use another pitcher to hang up K cards for.

MY TOP 10 LOWER MINORS LIST:

# 1 - Marcos Molina

#2 – Michael Conforto

#3 – Amed Rosario

#4 – Dominic Smith

#5 - Jhoan Urena

#6 – Vicente Lupo

#7 – Wuilmer Becerra

#8 – Luis Guillorme

#9 - Casey Meisner

#10 - Milton Ramos