Vanderbilt’s Jack Leiter Officially Signs To Texas Rangers With $7.9 Million Bonus

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Jack Leiter. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Former Vanderbilt pitcher and 2021 MLB Draft No. 2 overall pick Jack Leiter signs a contract with the Texas Rangers with a $7.9 million signing bonus, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The signing bonus marks the second largest in MLB history for a drafted pitcher since Gerrit Cole received $8 million from the Pittsburgh Pirates  in 2011. Since Cole’s signing, the MLB has changed the rules regarding signing bonuses for draftees, meaning that under the new system Leiter is the highest paid.

Leiter had one of the best seasons in all of college baseball this past season putting up 179 strikeouts, tied with teammate Kumar Rocker for the most in all of NCAA DI. He had an 11-4 record averaging 14.6 strikeouts per 9 innings with a 0.845 WHIP. He posted a 2.13 ERA across 110 innings and pitched a 16-strikeout no-hitter against South Carolina in his SEC debut on March 20.


“It’s so special, I’m forever thankful for the two years I spent there,” said Leiter in a press conference. “[Vanderbilt’s program] is really similar to the ideas and principles in the Texas Ranger organization. You’re a person first and a baseball player afterwards.”

Vanderbilt saw seven players get drafted in this years draft including two in the first round in Leiter and Rocker. This year’s draft was the fourth time in the past five years that the Commodores had at least seven players selected in an MLB Draft.

“From coach [Tim] Corbin, coach [Scott] Brown at Vanderbilt, and the entire staff at Vanderbilt from top to bottom, I can’t thank them enough,” Leiter shared.

Leiter will not play in the Rangers minor league system this current season but will instead be heading back to Vanderbilt in the fall to finish his degree. He will also be working out in a joint program through both Vanderbilt and the Rangers, according to Rangers General Manager Chris Young.

Steven Boero
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