Vanderbilt's Jack Leiter, possible top 2021 MLB Draft draft pick, twirls no-hitter against South Carolina
The son of former MLB hurler Al Leiter was completely dominant on Saturday

No. 2 Vanderbilt right-hander Jack Leiter on Saturday reinforced his status as one of the most coveted 2021 draft-eligibles by pitching a no-hitter against No. 16 South Carolina on Saturday in a 5-0 Commodores win.
Here's his (utterly dominant) line for the day against a Gamecocks offense that came in averaging 6.8 runs per game:
9 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 16 SO, 28 BF
As you can see, Leiter faced only one batter over the minimum en route to the no-no. That walk, by the way, was of the leadoff variety, and from that point onward Leiter retired 27 in a row. Here's the history-making final out:
History on West End. #VandyBoys | @jackleiter22 pic.twitter.com/ZUHD16a7Uo
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) March 20, 2021
As you may have noticed, Kumar Rocker was the last Vandy moundsman to throw a no-hitter. Rocker is also in the mix for the top overall draft slot, and on Friday night he struck out 14 Gamecocks in eight innings of shut-out ball. That is to say, you probably don't want to catch Vandy for a weekend series this season.
As for Leiter, here's what our own R.J. Anderson wrote about him in naming him the top draft prospect of 2021:
"Leiter's freshman year (all 15 innings of it) saw him post a 1.72 ERA and a 37 percent strikeout rate while utilizing an improved arsenal. His fastball can get into the mid-90s and looks good on a Trackman readout, his top-down curveball is devastating, and he has a quality slider. He's since added a cutter, and is said to be dead set on improving his changeup. Leiter has more than a deep well of pitches to draw from; he receives ample praise for his athleticism and his intelligence, with neither coming as a surprise given his bloodlines (his father, Al, and uncle, Mark, combined to pitch in 30 big-league seasons). He also stands to benefit from the era in which he pitches: smaller starters (he's listed at 6-foot) are now viewed more favorably because of the flat plane they create at the top of the zone, and because of declining workload expectations. So long as Leiter stays healthy and doesn't walk the park, he's a real candidate to go No. 1."
Suffice it to say, Saturday's effort did nothing to dim that praise.
















