By Jerry Del Priore
At 18 years plus, Delbarton Prep (Morristown, NJ) senior pitcher Jack Leiter has thrown a no-hitter against Don Bosco Prep in the playoffs, is verbally committed to college baseball powerhouse Vanderbilt University, and is one of the nation’s top rising prospect.
Pretty impressive for the Summit, New Jersey, resident.
Sure, he’s gifted, but his natural talents are due, in part, to his familiar former major league dad — Al Leiter, who pitched 19 seasons in MLB, including seven campaigns with the New York Mets.
In addition, the younger Leiter has two uncles with professorial baseball experience: Mark Leiter (11 MLB season) and Kurt Leiter, whom the Baltimore Orioles drafted.
So, baseball is in his blood, for sure. As for his physical and cerebral attributes, the six-foot, 195-pound righty sports a mid-90s fastball that he’s able to spot, along with good off-speed offerings, especially his curve and slider, which he can both spin pretty effectively, according to PerfectGame.org.
Plus, Leiter’s delivery is smoothed and effortless, and he possesses the mental fortitude to succeed on the mound. To round out his high school baseball equation, Leiter is also a standout student.
The question is: If Leiter, who’s also a middle infielder, gets drafted high enough, will he bypass college and join the pro ranks?
His father is known to be big on academics, so that remains to be seen.
However, it would be nice to see the younger Leiter in blue and orange one day.
