Jack Leiter delivered the best performance of his young MLB career on Sunday, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning and pitching into the eighth for the first time as a professional.
Despite his dominance, the Texas Rangers fell 4-3 to the Houston Astros, settling for a series split at Globe Life Field.
A Star Emerges on the Mound
Leiter, the Rangers’ highly touted rookie and son of former MLB pitcher Al Leiter, was electric from the start.
Facing the Astros in his first taste of the Silver Boot Series, he mixed his pitches efficiently and kept Houston hitters off balance for much of the afternoon.
“Jack did a great job. I think everything was working,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said later. “He had a good mix going. He threw a lot of strikes and pitched very efficiently, all those things. He did a terrific job. Really, really was on top of his game.”
The right-hander’s command and poise were evident as he retired batter after batter, with the Rangers’ defense backing him up.
“It was special stuff,” catcher Jonah Heim, who worked closely with Leiter all day, said about the rookie’s performance. “He left one pitch up, and that’s the end of the history in the making there.
“He threw the ball really well. Got unlucky with some missed calls at the end there, but that’s the game. Sometimes it goes our way, sometimes it doesn’t.”
No-Hitter Broken, but Growth Continues
Leiter’s no-hit bid was broken in the seventh inning when Yainer Diaz connected for a two-out solo home run, ending both the no-hitter and the Rangers’ hopes of their first since Kenny Rogers’ perfect game in 1994.
Still, Leiter completed seven innings for the first time in his MLB career, a significant milestone for the 24-year-old Vanderbilt product.
“Every game is its own learning experience, and that’s all I’m trying to do is soak it in as much as possible and learn as much as I can,” Leiter reflected postgame. “Obviously there’s a lot of positive takeaways to build off of this one.
“It’s unfortunate we don’t get the win on a getaway day to win the series. But we keep pushing forward. I think we got a lot of good things going for us right now.”
Eighth Inning Turns the Tide
The game unraveled for Texas in the eighth. Leiter allowed a pair of softly hit singles to open the inning, prompting Bochy to turn to the bullpen.
Reliever Chris Martin exited after just one pitch due to right shoulder discomfort, and both inherited runners scored when Isaac Paredes launched a two-out, three-run homer off Robert Garcia—his first allowed this season.
“Balls found holes that inning,” Leiter said. “We stayed on the attack, and that’s what we had been doing all day. All day, they weren’t finding holes.
“To start the eighth, I still made good pitches, and two of them found holes. It’s kind of unfortunate, obviously. You leave the game with two runners on and no outs.
“You gotta hold yourself accountable for those. That’s a really tough ask of the bullpen.”
Teammates and Coaches See Progress
Despite the late drama, Leiter’s performance drew high praise from teammates and coaches.
“Probably the best outing he’s seen from Leiter since he was called up in 2024,” Heim said “I think he had full control of all [his] stuff, and I think he handled his emotions really well. He was just out there competing, not thinking too much and trusting his stuff. When he does that, he’s pretty special.”
Bochy echoed that sentiment, emphasizing Leiter’s growth and resilience in a high-pressure environment.
Looking Ahead
With this outing, Leiter lowered his season ERA to 4.25 over seven starts, showing significant improvement over his debut season.
The Rangers, meanwhile, look to build on the positives as they head out for a road trip, with Leiter’s emergence as a reliable starter providing a bright spot for the defending American League champions.