Vanderbilt right-hander Jack Leiter is on track to be the No. 1 pick overall in the 2021 MLB Draft., and he has his dad to thank for it.
Leiter, as you know, is the son of former New York Yankees and New York Mets southpaw Al Leiter.
Jack Leiter, the Summit, N.J. native who played high school ball for the Delbarton School in Morristown, talked about being groomed by his father while making an appearance on Barstool Sports’ “Starting 9” podcast. According to WFAN, Leiter said his dad started teaching him pitching mechanics when he was two years old and “that was a huge advantage.” Growing up, Jack Leiter and his dad bonded while breaking down pitcher-hitter matchups on television.
“Watching baseball games on TV always becomes a pitching conversation,” he said. “What pitch is he going to throw here? How do you think he’s going to sequence this guy? What are you thinking if you’re right here if Mike Trout’s in the box … think that’s really helpful to the mental side of it and more important than the physical side.”
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Al Leiter began his MLB career with the Yankees in 1987 and returned to the Bronx in 2005 for his 19th and final big-league season. But Jack Leiter’s clubhouse visits to see his dad at Yankee Stadium weren’t exactly a walk in the park.
“I was five when he retired in 2005. I was almost too young. I was scared of being around Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez in the clubhouse. I would cry when my mom pushed me in there and I was four years old. Looking back, obviously, that would have all been so cool.”
Fast forward 16 years, and Jack Leiter sees his name atop several pre-draft lists of baseball’s top prospects as he stands on the cusp of beginning his MLB journey:
The Pittsburgh Pirates will get the first chance to call Leiter’s name when the draft begins on July 11 in conjunction with the All-Star Game festivities in Atlanta.
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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.