Jack Leathersich

WTM’S PLAYER PROFILE

2011
A-:  0-0-1, 0.71 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 12.2 IP, 2.1 BB/9, 18.5 K/9

In a brief debut in the New York-Penn League, Leathersich was nearly unhittable, striking out 26 of the 47 batters he faced.  Baseball America rated him the Mets’ 27th best prospect after the season.

2012
A:  0-1-1, 0.75 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 24.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 13.9 K/9
A+:  2-5-1, 4.13 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 48.0 IP, 4.5 BB/9, 14.3 K/9

The Mets sent Leathersich to low A, where he remained nearly unhittable, so they moved him up after a dozen relief appearances.  He found high A more challenging, as the control issues started to emerge, but he maintained an extremely high K rate.  BA ranked him 22nd in New York’s system after the season.

2013
AA:  2-0-3, 1.53 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 29.1 IP, 4.9 BB/9, 16.9 K/9
AAA:  2-0-0, 7.76 ERA, 2.10 WHIP, 29.0 IP, 9.0 BB/9, 14.6 K/9

Leathersich continued along the same lines in AA, but the control problems became severe after a mid-season promotion to AAA.  BA still ranked him 23rd in the Mets’ system.

2014
AA:  3-3-1, 2.93 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 46.0 IP, 4.1 BB/9, 15.5 K/9
AAA:  0-0-0, 5.40 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 8.1 IP, 7.6 BB/9, 15.1 K/9

The Mets sent Leathersich back to AA and he stayed there until early August.  He got something of a handle on the walks and continued to put up an outlandish K rate, but he also got hit a little more.  He spent most of August in AAA and struggled.  The Mets nevertheless added him to their 40-man roster after the season.

2015
AAA:  0-0-0, 5.40 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 13.1 IP, 4.7 BB/9, 14.9 K/9
MLB:  0-1-0, 2.31 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 11.2 IP, 5.4 BB/9, 10.8 K/9

Leathersich opened the season in AAA, but through late June spent a good portion of it with the Mets.  His control problems weren’t as severe and he pitched better at the AAA level than his ERA indicates.  At the major league level it was just the opposite.  He ended up having Tommy John surgery in July.  The Mets put him on waivers after the season.  The Cubs claimed him, then removed him from their roster and signed him to a minor league deal.

2016
R:  1-0-0, 1.13 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 8.0 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 18.0 K/9
AA:  0-0-0, 3.48 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 3.5 BB/9, 10.5 K/9
AAA:  0-0-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 5.0 IP, 10.8 BB/9, 10.8 K/9

Leathersich resumed pitching in late June and spent the rest of the season working his way back from the surgery.  Maybe a little strangely, BA rated him the 27th best prospect in a good Cubs’ system after the season.  The Cubs added him to their 40-man roster in November.

2017
AAA (ChC):  2-4-1, 2.84 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 44.1 IP, 5.7 BB/9, 14.6 K/9
MLB (ChC):  0-0-0, 27.00 ERA, 7.50 WHIP, 0.2 IP, 54.0 BB/9, 13.5 K/9
MLB:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 4.1 IP, 4.2 BB/9, 12.5 K/9

The Cubs optioned Leathersich to AAA and he pitched better than he generally had at that level.  Control still remained a big issue, but he continued to strike batters out at an extremely high rate and opponents hit only .167 against him.  He appeared in one game for the Cubs and it didn’t go well, as he walked four of the seven batters he faced.  The Cubs designated him for assignment as part of a series of roster moves in September and the Pirates claimed him off waivers.  They assigned Leathersich initially to Indianapolis.  He appeared in three playoff games there, taking the loss in the game that eliminated Indy, then moved up to Pittsburgh.  He pitched well, to the extent you can tell anything from six games and barely over four innings.

Leathersich was in the mix for a bullpen spot in 2018, but had a very rough spring, struggling to throw strikes, and was an early cut.  He has an option left and so will serve as depth at Indianapolis.