Vanderbilt University’s Jack Leiter comes from a baseball background.
As most readers have probably figured out, he is the son of all-time great Al Leiter.
The two have a whole lot in common, as both the elder Leiter and the younger Leiter are known best for their elite pitching.
Of course, the elder Leiter’s pitching days are long behind him, but the younger Leiter is just getting started.
So far, the younger Leiter has managed a 2.16 ERA at Vanderbilt this season and has fanned a ridiculous 156 batters in 96.0 innings.
Jack Leiter, 97mph Paint. 🖌️🎨
He's really good. pic.twitter.com/KxiaBSgJxg
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 12, 2021
He projects to be the first pitcher off the board in the 2021 MLB Draft, and many fans are already fantasizing about seeing him in a Major League uniform.
Which MLB teams need the future star the most?
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks have the worst starting pitching in baseball in the ERA department.
The team’s starters have a collective ERA of 5.17, ranking dead last.
It’s not all bad for Arizona, though.
There have been two bright spots in the Diamondbacks rotation this season, both of which have been young arms.
Zac Gallen, 25, has a 3.04 ERA over five starts this season and a 2.82 ERA over 32 career starts.
Taylor Widener, 26, has a 2.63 ERA over five starts this season and a 3.48 ERA over 17 career appearances.
Both players are under team control for several more seasons.
That said, the Diamondbacks could really use an elite pitching prospect like Leiter.
The organization has the ninth-ranked farm system in baseball according to MLB.com, but none of the team’s top four prospects are pitchers.
Leiter would change that.
Arizona has the sixth overall selection in the upcoming draft.
2. Boston Red Sox
While the Boston Red Sox have enjoyed some steady campaigns from much of their rotation this season, they are relying largely on veteran arms to get the job done.
There are some, although not tons of, young pitchers scattered between Boston’s MLB team and its farm system.
For example, Nick Pivetta and Eduardo Rodriguez, both 28, likely have plenty of good seasons left in the tank.
Tanner Houck, 24, has shown flashes of massive potential at the MLB level.
Tanner Houck, Filthy 83mph Back Door Slider. pic.twitter.com/yV4JEckTmt
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 3, 2021
After those three arms, though, there is a big drop-off as it pertains to young pitching talent.
Leiter would be a great fit in the Red Sox organization, and he could fall right into their lap at fourth overall in the upcoming draft.
1. Texas Rangers
Like the Red Sox, the Texas Rangers are going to have a legitimate chance at grabbing Leiter, as they have the second overall pick in the upcoming draft.
The Rangers are in desperate need of starting pitching help at every level of their organization.
Only one starter on the team’s big-league roster has an ERA below 4.50, and it’s 33-year-old Kyle Gibson.
There is very little reason to be optimistic about the future of the staff, especially considering that just two of the team’s top-10 prospects are pitchers, according to MLB.com.
Jack Leiter would be a slam dunk selection for this club.
The 2021 MLB Draft begins July 11.
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