This spring, the spotlight is on Jack Leiter. Could the baseball gods finally smile on the Rangers and have at least one Jon Daniels pitching draft pick succeed.

Just one. Please?

Leiter was so good in college (2.08 ERA) and has been so disappointing as a pro (5.37). He started twenty-one games at Vanderbilt and has started exactly twice that many in the minor leagues, not showing in inkling of success. The Rangers shut him down last year, mainly to clear his head. They rebuilt his mechanics and find the strike zone.

When he returned to Double-A, he seemed to have figured it out. Leiter put up an ERA of 3.31 in Frisco, but even more important, he walked only four batters, striking out twenty-five. Opponents had a .186 batting average against him. That earned him a start in Triple-A. Where he immediately got pounded. He walked two batters, gave up eight hits, three earned runs, in 3.1 innings.

The Rangers really need him, or someone—anyone please—to step up and add starting depth. 

Last opening day, the Rangers went into the season with seven potential starters. They currently have five.

This is Jack Leiter’s time. He needs to show he can do it. That’s something he hasn’t been able to yet.