Jack Leiter
RHP 6-0 195 Vanderbilt
Let the debate begin. We have 10 months until the 2021 Draft. Rocker or Leiter? Leiter or Rocker? As we know, things can change — they changed in 2020 with Emerson Hancock. That being said, the narrative is reasonably cut and dry at this time. If the Mariners find themselves in a position to draft inside the top three, given their affinity for college arms, you very well may find a Commodore on the team’s roster next summer.
The Seattle Mariners have never drafted and signed a pitcher from Vanderbilt. If I were a betting man, there’s reasonable odds that changes in 2021.
NJ.com -
Jack Leiter, the son of former New York Yankees and New York Mets southpaw Al Leiter, and fellow Vanderbilt right-hander Kumar Rocker are projected to be the top two picks in the draft.
That makes the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Texas Rangers the leading contenders to select Leiter. It’s the first time Pittsburgh owned the No. 1 pick overall since 2011. Texas hasn’t picked as high as No. 2 since 1974.
But if Leiter somehow starts to slide, it’s possible the Boston Red Sox, at No. 4, could pluck the right-hander out of the Yankees' backyard.
The 2021 MLB Draft will be held from July 11 to 13 in conjunction with the All-Star Game festivities in Atlanta.
2. Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt
The pandemic deprived Commodores fans of seeing the best 1-2 combo in the nation, because next on the list is another son of a former pro.
In this case, it's former All-Star left-hander Al Leiter. Jack Leiter stands six feet and 195 pounds, which makes him a tad undersized, but scouts love his feel and varied arsenal, which includes a 95-mph fastball, plus curveball, slider, and changeup.
The Yankees selected Leiter in the 20th round coming out of high school, but he spurned them for college and went 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA in three starts. Some experts believe Leiter's advanced polish makes him the more intriguing pick at No. 1. Either way, the early consensus is that either Rocker or Leiter will go first.
2. RHP Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt
Bat: R. Throw: R. 6′, 195 lbs. Born 4/21/2000. Hometown: Summit, NJ
2020: 2-0, 1.72 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 22/8 K/BB in 15.2 IP.
Like his rotation-mate, Jack Leiter was a highly touted high school prospect and could have gone in the first round in 2019 out of the New Jersey high school ranks. Because he was extremely old for a high schooler and older than many college freshmen at the time, he’s draft eligible already as a sophomore, and it took just one start to establish himself in the very top tier of the class. In his first collegiate start, he took the mound against South Alabama and struck out twelve over five no-hit innings, then he cruised to a strong start against Evansville before a so-so outing against TCU. With just 15.2 innings under his belt, he’s already one of the most polished pitchers in the class.
Leiter can’t quite match Rocker’s stuff, but there is still plenty to like. His fastball sits in the low 90’s and tops out around 95 early in games, but even though he’s on the smaller side at six feet tall, it plays well above its velocity due to elite extension for his size. Teams increasingly look for that long extension that puts flat plane on the ball, and Leiter gets it. His best secondary pitch is a potentially plus curveball with tremendous depth, albeit with low to mid 70’s velocity. He’s begun working in a slider more that’s an average pitch for now, but he can rattle off some good ones and given his feel for pitching, it’s easy to envision him getting consistently above average with that pitch. With low to mid 80’s velocity, it also gets nice velocity separation from his curveball. Lastly, he flashes above average with his changeup as well but doesn’t use it as much.
That’s quite the repertoire, but what makes it really play up is his advanced feel to change speeds and spot his pitches. As we did with Kumar Rocker, we have to nitpick a little bit just because we’re talking about the very top of the draft here, and that’s just how it goes. You have to love Leiter’s feel for his craft, and he certainly has all the intangibles to succeed at the major league level. But we are talking about a fastball that often dips into the 90-91 range and a curve that can get down to 71-72, which isn’t exactly power stuff from a six foot pitcher, and he might have a little less margin for error than guys like Rocker. Additionally, the “burden of proof” is higher for command pitchers than for guys with loud stuff, and Leiter has thrown just 15.2 innings so far (with eight walks) at the collegiate level – he’ll have to prove over a full season that his command is all that it’s cracked up to be. If he does, he has a great chance to challenge for that 1-1 spot.
6. Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt - Some evaluators like Leiter more than his teammate Rocker because he has a deeper repertoire (a 90-95 mph fastball, two distinct quality breaking balls, and a solid changeup he barely used as a freshman) and a better feel for pitching. He's a bit undersized for a starter at 6 feet and 195 pounds, and scouts would like to see the son of two-time All-Star Al Leiter add some velocity and pound the strike zone more consistently.
3) Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt - A highly-touted high schooler who turned down first round money in 2019 to go to Vanderbilt, Leiter looks to be a lock for a top five selection in the 2021 draft thanks to three above-average to plus pitches, good athleticism, flashes of elite command, and statistical dominance in his short sample size in 2020. His fastball velocity has fluctuated over the past few years. He sat mostly 91-94 this past year at Vanderbilt, but he has been up to 96-97 in the past. He has shown flashes of superb command of the pitch, especially to his arm side, where he is able to generate whiffs and keep hitters off balanced. However, those flashes of great command are not the norm. Leiter struggled to consistently throw strikes in 2020, posting a sub-optimal 4.6 BB/9. He only threw 15.2 innings and I am willing to chalk it up to an extremely small sample size, but it is something to monitor. Leiter is able to get a considerable amount of vertical movement on his fastball, which allows him to generate whiffs at the top of the one without elite velocity. His 11/5 curveball is a plus secondary with huge depth and sharp bite. While the movement and bite on the pitch are both fantastic, there are some questions about whether or not big curveballs like his can still be a viable primary off-speed pitch. Because of how high the pitch gets out of his hand, hitters are able to pick it up early and adjust to the pitch. This is one of the reasons as to why Leiter didn’t miss as many bats with the curve as the pitch’s movement would suggest. Instead, his slider is the less heralded off-speed pitch that may become his primary bat-misser. It has good 10/4 shape with length and bite. His feel to spin his curveball offers hope that he can continue to improve his slider and optimize it to its full potential. Leiter mixes in a changeup that has the potential to be an average 4th offering. His delivery is nearly flawless; Leiter is a great athlete who uses his athleticism to his advantage in his delivery. He gets deep into his legs on the mound for a very efficient hip hinge, and shows great stability, flexibility, and body control in his finish. He is also able to generate great hip/torso separation, which could be a sign of more velocity to come. This great athleticism and his ability to repeat the easy mechanics makes it easy to dream on his command becoming one of the strongest parts of his profile. The main knock on him is his height. He’s listed at 6’1 but he may be shorter than that. His lack of height could bring up some issues about long-term durability, but his superb lower-half strength and the growing number of shorter pitchers in the big leagues are both enough to quell some of those concerns. Overall if Leiter shows the ability to become more consistent with his command and find a breaking pitch he can bats with consistently, there is a path to him possibly dethroning his teammate Kumar Rocker as the top prospect in the draft.
Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt
Son of former big-leaguer Al Leiter, Jack is another Vandy hurler who figures to go somewhere in the top five of this year’s draft class. Leiter would be a draft-eligible sophomore and would be 21 on draft night. At 6’0″ 195 lbs, Leiter would not provide the typical Tigers mold for starting pitchers, but bloodlines have been something the Detroit Tigers have coveted with the likes of Kody Clemens, Cam Gibson, Parker Meadows, and Pedro Martinez Jr.
Unlike Rocker, Leiter features and uses a complete four-pitch mix which would undoubtedly help his rise through the minor leagues. His fastball can reach the mid-90’s but his frame suggests there may not be much to gain beyond what he offers currently.
4. Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt
It really is a shame that we won’t see what Jack Leiter is capable of in SEC play as a freshman. The 19-year-old was mowing down non-conference college hitters when the NCAA season was postponed. Had he maintained his control the whole season, there was a chance to jump to the top of this list. As it stands right now, however, Leiter showed plenty of what we already know: a fantastic curveball, mid-90s velocity, and the ability to control them both for multiple starts at a time. As this ranking flatly points out, I am higher on Rocker than Leiter. I like Rocker’s size and slider as a more potent, if not sustainable, profile against MLB hitters. That said, Leiter has starter written all over him.
Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt
Leiter would have been a first-round pick in 2018, but he made it clear to teams that he was honoring his commitment to Vanderbilt.
The New York Yankees took him in the 20th round anyway to try to negotiate a deal, but they were unsuccessful.
As a draft-eligible sophomore, Leiter could follow his teammate off the board if he shines throughout a full season in the SEC.
In four appearances as a freshman, the son of former MLB pitcher Al Leiter went 2-0 and struck out 22 while conceding three earned runs.
With Rocker and Leiter anchoring the pitching staff, Vanderbilt is once again expected to contend for a College World Series crown.
Leiter could be as good as his old man
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