Major League Baseballâs First-Year Player Draft got underway Sunday night, and in the second round (65th overall) the Los Angeles Dodgers selected right-handed pitcher Cam Leiter.
Does the name ring a bell? For some fans, it may.
Leiter, 21, is the nephew of former MLB pitchers Al Leiter and Mark Leiter, as well as the cousin of current pitchers Jack Leiter and Mark Leiter Jr. His father, Kurt Leiter, pitched collegiately at Oklahoma State and then spent four seasons in the minor leagues.
The Florida State product had a 4.63 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 35 innings in 2024 but hasnât pitched since then because of a shoulder injury that required surgery.
The projected slot value for the 65th overall pick is $1.35 million.
What is the Scouting Report on Cam Leiter?
While Leiter went higher than expected at No. 65, he was still generally viewed as a Day One pick. Leading up to the draft, the 6-foot-4 Leiter was ranked 85th by Baseball America, 106th by ESPN, and 114th by MLB Pipeline.
Baseball America lauded Leiterâs versatile pitch mix in its scouting report, writing, âWhen healthy, Leiter has shown one of the more explosive pitch mixes in the class. His 94-96 mph fastball has touched 99 with strong running and riding life through the zone that led to a 30% miss rate in 2024. He has two breaking balls that flash plus potential.
âHe favors a 78-82 mph hammer breaking ball with great spin and downward biting action, while his high-spin, high-80s power slider also looks like a consistent swing-and-miss offering. The slider will often blend into more of a cutter look at the top of its velocity band. Leiter also mixes and upper-80s changeup that becomes a bigger piece of his mix when facing left-handed hitters.â
Leiter had a career-high 13 strikeouts over five innings in a 13-0 season-opening win over Butler on Feb. 16, 2024.
Before transferring to Florida State, Leiter began his college career at UCF. In 15 games (14 starts) as a freshman, he went 3-2 with a 4.92 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 56.2 innings. The Bayville, N.J., product was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team.
Who Else Was Drafted From Florida State?
Leiter was one of four Florida State players picked on the draftâs first day, joining pitcher Jamie Arnold (11th, Athletics), shortstop Alex Lodise (60th, Braves), and outfielder Max Williams (78th, Marlins).
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