uJun 8, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy (15) in the dugout before the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Texas Rangers Boss Isn’t Worried About Young Pitcher Despite Blowup Start

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI
By Anders Pryor | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Texas Rangers were routed by the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, 6-1, with two home runs by Salvador Perez dealing the most significant blow.

It was the first time the Rangers had scored one or fewer runs since June 6 against the Washington Nationals. In that span, the Rangers have figured things out on offense, but they finally slipped.

Texas had just five hits against Kansas City, with a double from Corey Seager being the only extra-base hit.

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But the Rangers' offense was not the only culprit in the defeat.

Rookie starter Jack Leiter, who has been one of many bright spots in Texas' rotation, was overpowered by the Royals' bats. He went 5.2 innings, allowed eight hits, six runs, three home runs, and two walks with just four strikeouts. It was Leiter's first time allowing four or more runs since May 8.

It is not a great look for Leiter, who is still figuring himself out as a rookie. But Rangers manager Bruce Bochy is not worried about the young starter.

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"He's young in his career, so he's going to have games like this."
Bruce Bochy speaks on Jack Leiter's outing tonight️#AllForTX pic.twitter.com/9iY1UOTZXF
— Victory+ (@victoryplustv) June 18, 2025

"I'm sure he'll evaluate the game and look back on what he could have done different," Bochy said during his post-game press conference. "Including pitch selection, at times. Hopefully you learn from every time you go out there and pitch. He had a stolen base, he did the big leg kick there, little things like that, that hopefully you take away and continue to learn. He's young in his career, so he's going to have games like this."

Bochy chalked up Leiter's fastball placement as the primary culprit of his poor start. According to Baseball Savant, Leiter's fastball run value is in the 87th percentile, with a four-seamer averaging 97.4 miles an hour.

Leiter used his fastball 51% of the time in his brief 2024 campaign. That number has cut down to 31%. But for Bochy, it's not about the usage, but rather placement and intention.

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"He was off," Bochy said on Leiter's fastball. "He was off with the command. That was it more than anything. The stuff was there. It's all there for him. He just couldn't locate very well tonight."

Leiter's ERA rose from 3.88 to 4.40. His next projected start is Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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This article first appeared on Texas Rangers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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