Jack Leiter’s secret weapon could be a season defining advantage

There have been plenty of things to like about the Rangers' first four games of the season. A 3-1 start on the road, big hits from new acquisitions Brandon Nimmo and Andrew McCutchen and Jake Burger starting on fire at the plate.

Maybe the most encouraging aspect of the team's good start was the performance of prized top draft pick, Jack Leiter, who delivered a gem Monday night in the 5-2 win over Baltimore.

Leiter, building off the momentum he established in the second half of last year, threw six strong innings against the Orioles that included a polished new toy that could elevate him and the team to new levels this season.

Jack Leiter showed off his new cutter in his first outing of the season

The young hurler out of Vanderbilt had everything working, going six efficient innings, allowing just two runs on five hits on a clean 92 pitches.

Leiter was able to locate his cutter, a pitched he learned from Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet this offseason, throwing it to every corner of the strike zone and effectively changing its speed at will.

It was his best pitch in the process of racking up eight strikeouts and limiting his command, walking just one batter. He also mixed in the "kick-change" that worked well in 2025, helping to keep the Orioles off balance all evening.

If he can harness this new "secret weapon" over the course of the entire season and mix it in effectively with his 98 mph heat, then the Rangers could have the best rotation in baseball.

Leiter has clearly matured going into his third full season in the starting rotation

Last season, Leiter rarely went a full six innings and had few quality starts. He would be laboring and sweating bullets with a pitch count in the 80s through four frames. He would nibble too much with his slider and fastball instead of pitching in and around the zone.

Leiter was all business at Camden Yards, buoyed by the confidence he had in all four of his pitches. Last season, he would get frustrated when he missed his spots, trudging around the mound after questionable calls. Monday night, he just reloaded and finished the at-bat.

Behind Leiter's strong and smooth debut, the Rangers have already assured a .500 road trip, and with staff ace Jacob deGrom scheduled to start tomorrow, it's looking good out of the gate for the Skip Schumaker era.