Cleveland Guardians 2024 Prospect Scouting Report: #20 RHP Jack Leftwich

Will Leftwich put it all together in 2024 on the cusp of a big league opportunity?

Jack Leftwich Bio

• Age (2024 season): 25

• Acquired: 2021 Draft (Round 7)

• 2023 Level: Double-A

• Height: 6’4

• Weight: 220

• Throws: Right

Jack Leftwich 2023 Stats

• G/GS: 23/14

• IP: 78

• ERA/FIP: 5.19/4.48

• K/BB: 70/25

• K%/BB%: 21.5%/7.7%

• WHIP: 1.23

Jack Leftwich 2024 Scouting Grades

• Fastball: 50

• Slider: 55

• Changeup: 45

• Command: 50

• Overall: 40

• Risk: High

• ETA: 2025

Build & Background

Big, sturdy framed pitcher. A bit high waisted with lankier limbs. Some room left in frame to add muscle but mostly filled out projection wise. Utilizes a drop and drive delivery coming off a waist-high leg kick. He has a longer arm motion and uses a 3/4 arm slot. Leftwich gets good extension and has a long stride in his delivery. He does borderline stride open sometimes and there is some effort to the delivery, along with some potential arm timing issues thanks to that long motion. Leftwich pitched in high school at TXNL Academy in Florida and was drafted by the Tigers but opted to go to Florida. There was some thought he would go in the 2020 five round draft, but went unselected. He went back to Florida and pitched in a variety of roles for the Gators when the Guardians selected him in the seventh round of the 2021 draft, along with teammates Tommy Mace and Franco Aleman.

What Leftwich Does Well

Leftwich has a solid three pitch arsenal where all three offerings will flash average or better at times. His fastball velocity will wane a bit from 90 up to 96. His money pitch is his slider which can be sweeper like at times, with a lot of horizontal movement. It’s a legitimate swing and miss pitch. His changeup will flash average thanks to good arm side run. His stride length and extension helps some of his stuff play up more by getting on the hitters faster. Leftwich has average control and typically avoids many walks, at least against minor league hitters.

Where Leftwich Needs to Improve

I have some delivery concerns overall with Leftwich due to the long arm action and looking like he strides open sometimes. The fastball shape itself can be flat at times and his changeup lacks consistency on movement. Sometimes it will also lack velocity separation from his fastball. Control over command type arm.

Key Stats

From April-June, Leftwich compiled a 7.97 ERA with a 5.65 FIP. He had a 32/10 strikeout to walk rate in 35 innings. From July-on, it was 2.93 with a 3.53 FIP, with 38 strikeouts and 15 walks in 43 innings. Whatever affected him in the first half, he seemed to work it out in the second half.

Intangibles

Leftwich has grown a lot mentally as a pro baseball player and all that he needed to learn. In college, he was asked to start, close and come in as a fireman, He agreed to pitch in multiple roles in his draft year and has been mature and focused as a pro.

Future

There’s enough risk here in his delivery and control over command could push Leftwich into the bullpen. He is an older prospect too. But Cleveland continues to stick him in the rotation, which may be the case again in 2024, and he has enough stuff to be in that role. It’s a big year for Leftwich because he was part of the 2021 draft class, meaning he’ll be Rule 5 eligible this coming off-season. Cleveland will likely want to (and should) see his full options before deciding on his role. He probably needs better command and for his changeup to grade up a little for justify being able to turn over the lineup. All in all, a health, Leftwich should at least project as a good bullpen option with swing and miss stuff, or a back end stater.

Role

40 - Bat missing relief option/back of rotation starter.