Mark Leiter Jr.’s journey truly took a winding path to the mound Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
Leiter’s evolution from a Twenty second-round resolve who made 11 begins his rookie 12 months on a 96-loss rebuilding Philadelphia Phillies group to a high-leverage reliever for a Chicago Cubs group eying a postseason look — with Tommy John surgical process and a pandemic-prolonged rehab course of in between — is a testament to the right-hander’s perseverance and suppleness.
Leiter hasn’t allowed a run through seven appearances, wanting dominant inside the course of. Coming into Monday’s sequence in Oakland, Leiter has’s struck out 12 of the 26 batters he’s confronted this season. His splitter is a nightmare pitch for left-handed hitters, who’re 2-for-18 in direction of him, and 9 of the lefty’s 10 strikeouts are from it.
Leiter as soon as extra shined in an unlimited spot all through Sunday’s 3-2 win. He entered the seventh inning with runners on first and second base as a result of the Cubs held onto a one-run lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Leiter struck out Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy, the latter with the bases loaded following an infield single, to complete the inning.
“There’s one thing about these guys which might be former starters that may deal with some moments,” supervisor David Ross said. “There’s no scenario that’s going to return up that they hadn’t been in already of their profession. To do it on this stage is clearly a bit of bit completely different. He’s trusted his stuff and the plan constructing off final yr and hit the bottom operating.”
A fired up Leiter strode off the mound after shutting down the Dodgers.
“’Leit Present’ is nice — he’s acquired that vitality, that battle in him when he’s on the mound,” third baseman Patrick Knowledge said. “It’s numerous enjoyable to play behind him.”
Six weeks up to now, Leiter was not assured a spot inside the Cubs bullpen out of spring teaching. He went unclaimed as soon as they designated him for challenge in January.
“Yearly I needed to are available and win jobs, so whether or not I used to be on the roster, off the roster, assured deal, non-guaranteed deal, my journey has put me ready to be able to go and compete as quickly as you are available,” Leiter said simply recently to the Tribune.
“It’s only a mentality, like, you’re at all times proving your self it doesn’t matter what. That’s why I form of chortle at a few of the stuff that’s like, oh, you had been competing (for a job). Effectively, you need to be competing always.”
Leiter may need opted for a route once more to the majors on a minor-league maintain one different group after clearing waivers. As an alternative, an easy enchantment to stick with a Cubs entrance office and pitching infrastructure that helped him take the next step in his career and produce his biggest career numbers in 2022 made the Chicago the place Leiter wished to be.
“Getting the chance to settle right into a constant function final yr, it was thrilling to get the construct off that this winter and actually have a route coming in,” Leiter said. “This was the recipe for fulfillment and these are the couple issues which you could enhance on or you’ll be able to add or improve.”
Bullpen coach Chris Younger served as a result of the Phillies assistant pitching coach in 2018 all through Leiter’s remaining big-league season there. The dearth of a clear place and schedule created some uncertainty for the time being in regards to the form of pitcher Leiter may turn into.
There will not be any doubts now how good he could possibly be out of the bullpen, notably in direction of lefties.
“He’s acquired that chip on the shoulder that you simply respect,” Younger knowledgeable the Tribune. “That’s simply at all times pushed him to show all people unsuitable and he’s performed it. You place these two issues collectively, and we get an opportunity to see what that model seemed like final yr and he introduced it proper again.”
()
