The Rangers haven’t quite seen what they envisioned when they drafted Jack Leiter number two overall back in 2021.

That is, until now….

Leiter took the mound on Wednesday afternoon in Cincinati with the Rangers going for a series victory.

Following an act that saw Nathan Eovaldi throw a complete-game shutout in just 99 pitches, Leiter had much to live up to.

It wasn’t quite an Eovaldi performance but Leiter showed the stuff that, if repeated consistently, could turn him into an elite MLB starter.

Leiter threw five shutout innings against the Reds, allowing just one hit while not walking a single batter and striking out six.

Combined with the performance of five innings and one run allowed last Friday against Boston, Leiter now sits 2-0 on the season with a 1.80 ERA.

After an offseason spent adding a new kick change and being able to work on his all-around game during a winter for the first time since being drafted, Leiter’s velocity has reached heights we’ve never seen at the big league level.

In an early season with starters Jon Gray and Cody Bradford being out with injuries, Leiter’s effort has been a much-needed one.

However, if Leiter continues to pitch at the level he is, don’t expect him to fall out of the rotation anytime soon.

Rangers President of Baseball Operations Chris Young has noted that both Leiter and Kumar Rocker have the opportunity to pitch their way into staying in the rotation.

Slowly but surely, you’re starting to see at the big league level what made Leiter a number two overall pick.

Despite all the talk of the pick already “not panning out”, we’re seeing a version of Jack Leiter that could not only give Texas a reliable starter but change the trajectory of their franchise.