{"id":19743,"date":"2019-05-12T01:39:09","date_gmt":"2019-05-12T05:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/\/?p=19743"},"modified":"2019-05-15T23:54:01","modified_gmt":"2019-05-16T03:54:01","slug":"jack-leiter-mlb-draft-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2019\/05\/12\/jack-leiter-mlb-draft-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"Jack Leiter 2019 MLB Draft Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

For many people, being selected in the MLB Draft is a once in a lifetime experience. This one event changes the legacy of the men taken and their families. However, for one highly touted prospect in this year\u2019s class, the draft has become a family tradition. On June 3rd, Jack Leiter<\/strong> looks to become the fourth member of his family to be drafted. Al Leiter<\/a><\/strong>, his father, Mark Leiter<\/a><\/strong>, his uncle, and Mark Leiter Jr.<\/a><\/strong>, his cousin, can all stake claim to being selected in the MLB Draft. <\/span><\/p>\n

Jack Leiter 2019 MLB Draft Profile<\/span><\/h2>\n

Leiter is currently a senior at Delbarton High School in Morristown, NJ, and he has committed to play at Vanderbilt University. He throws right handed and is listed at 6\u20191 and 195 pounds. He has played on the showcase circuit for team USA, and he participated in this spring\u2019s USA Baseball National High School Invitational. MLB.com<\/a> currently ranks Leiter as the 30th best prospect in the draft. <\/span><\/p>\n

So far this season<\/a>, he has only allowed four earned runs in 33.2 innings pitched, good for a 0.83 ERA. In his varsity career at Delbarton, he has a 0.76 ERA in 92.1 innings pitched with 143 strikeouts and just 33 walks. <\/span><\/p>\n

Strengths <\/span><\/h2>\n

Leiter\u2019s family heritage certainly plays into his strengths, and he proves to be more of a polished pitcher than normally seen out of someone his age. His command and overall feel for pitching resemble that of a veteran college starter. <\/span><\/p>\n

As far as that feel for pitching is concerned, he can throw four pitches, each with their own positive qualities. His fastball comes with some natural sink to it, and he has great command of the pitch, resulting in a grade of 55\/80 by scouts. <\/span><\/p>\n

Leiter has relied more on his curveball this season, but he also throws a slider. He throws both pitches with enough distinction to make them effective. The curveball can be an out pitch with a knee-buckling break, and it also received a 55\/80 grade, according to MLB.com<\/span><\/p>\n

While his changeup is his fourth-best pitch, he has a great feel for it. He does not need to throw changeups too frequently at the high school level, but his feel for the pitch show that he can develop it into an effective pitch as he transitions into a more complete starting pitcher.<\/span><\/p>\n