With a pair of right-handed pitchers in Peyton Battenfield and Trenton Denholm under our belts, it’s a great time to change it up and talk about… another pitcher? Well, guess it can’t be helped with Cleveland’s reputation, and the list is nearly half pitchers. We will however continue the trend of college arms drafted by the Guardians who made their professional debuts in 2022. My number 28 prospect is right-handed pitcher Jack Leftwich.
Leftwich, 24, was a 7th-round pick by the Guardians in the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Florida. He wasn’t a decorated college arm, more of a swiss army pitcher filling whatever role the Gators needed him to. The righty made 65 appearances (35 starts) over his four collegiate seasons with Florida amassing a record of 20-14 with a 4.25 ERA in 235.1 innings pitched. It wasn’t clear what Cleveland’s intentions were with Leftwich when they first drafted him given he was respectable in any capacity in college, but the Guardians showed their hand as the 2022 Minor League season unfolded.
Leftwich started his professional career with Cleveland’s Low-A affiliate the Lynchburg Hillcats, appearing in 14 games but making just five starts. He posted an ERA of 2.39 with Lynchburg over 60.1 innings pitched and 84 strikeouts to just 10 walks before a promotion to High-A Lake County. It was with the Captains that the Guardians proved willing to give the then-23-year-old a chance at being a starter first. He started all 10 games he appeared in for Lake County with a 4-0 record, 3.12 ERA, 56 strikeouts, 14 walks and a 3.30 FIP to show for it.
Jack Leftwich really had the slider working over 4 scoreless IP yesterday, creating a ton of uncomfortable swings and showed ability to throw in any count.
Back to back outings without an ER or BB with 8 K in 7 IP to start 2022 for the #Guardians 2021 7th-round pick. #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/LP9UAeV17y
— Ian Smith (@FlaSmitty) April 18, 2022
Leftwich’s stint with the Captains is particularly impressive when you consider he was still stretching out into a starter’s workload on the fly, and the drop off at the higher level was minimal. Overall in 2022 he appeared in 24 games (15 starts) while compiling a record of 8-2 covering 109.1 innings pitched, a 2.72 ERA, 24 walks (1.98 BB/9), 140 strikeouts (11.55 K/9), and a Guardians organization leading 0.92 WHIP. Additionally Leftwich was also one of just six pitchers in Minor League Baseball with a K% over 30% (33%) and a BB% below 6% (5.7%) joining organization mate Tanner Bibee on that list. Like Battenfield and Denholm before him, he excelled at keeping the ball in the yard registering a 0.41 HR/9 across both levels and a ground ball rate approaching 50%.
Leftwich possess a big frame at 6 foot 4 inches and weighing in at 220 pounds. He features a three pitch mix with an above average mid-90s fastball, an above average slider and a middling changeup. The slider can be downright nasty when it’s working and plays well off the fastball, but for him to stick as a starter he will need to further develop his changeup. Leftwich has an abbreviated, violent-looking delivery which may be better suited for relief, but mechanics can be refined if the organization prefers him as a starter.
Anyway, getting back to Guardians prospect stuff. Cutting video for the @Official_CGBI 2022 Rookie Prospect of the Year and reminded that Jack Leftwich threw two of these very nasty, bullying sliders this year. pic.twitter.com/Oiap9dLq7j
— Justin L. (@JL_Baseball) October 29, 2022
As far as professional debuts go they don’t get much better than Leftwich’s, and yet his was overshadowed by several other 2022 debuts we will cover later in this list. Going forward it would appear the short term plan is to give him every opportunity to be a starter, but the argument does exist that if he is unable to develop the changeup or a different third offering then Leftwich may profile as a strong setup man in the bullpen with two plus pitches in the fastball and slider.
Leftwich will likely pick up where he left off with Lake County in 2023, and may be in short order for a promotion to Double-A Akron relatively quickly if he repeats or improves upon his 10-game sample with the Captains last season. He has a relatively high floor, and I’d argue an even higher ceiling as reliever than starter, but the Guardians once again appear to have found several gems in the 2021 draft. It’ll be fun to watch if the 2021 draft class has similar returns to Cleveland’s 2016 crop of pitchers, and Leftwich should be on your radars after his first season with the Guardians.