Former Rangers star details how Jack Leiter turned his rookie season around

At the beginning of the season, rookie pitcher Jack Leiter looked like he might lose his spot in the Texas Rangers rotation. As the season comes to a close, there's talk that he could win Rookie of the Year.

Leiter's turnaround was evident to anyone. He turned things on in August, especially as he posted a 2.76 ERA and struck out 35 in 26.1 innings pitched. And he finished his rookie campaign by striking out 10 Cleveland Guardians batters and pushing his ERA under 4 for the season.

Jack Leiter’s late-season dominance changes Texas Rangers' outlook

One former Rangers pitcher and front office exec thinks he knows how Jack Leiter managed to turn things around. And Colby Lewis believes it's something that Leiter can carry forward and turn himself into something special in 2026 and beyond.

How Jack Leiter fixed his command and turned into a Rookie of the Year threat

"I think he was probably trying to do too much, too early, because of who he was and how hard he threw, and how good his stuff was," Lewis told the Dallas Morning News.

"I think he was just trying to be a little bit too fine and that’s what created a lot of the walks. I think now he’s gotten the point where, 'my fastball plays if it’s middle, middle away.'"

"I think that’s what you’re seeing now, is that he’s really learned how to attack and stay on the attack and not pitch from behind in a lot of counts."

"So I think that’s the biggest key, because his stuff’s been there the last couple of years. We’ve all seen it, and I think it’s just the mentality now of like, 'You’re not going to beat me now, I’m not going to beat myself.'"

As the Texas Rangers' season is almost over, there's plenty to be excited about when it comes to Jack Leiter and what he can do for a team looking to compete in 2026.