Visiting the video room: Leiter makes Mark in July for Toledo Mud Hens

It wasn’t long ago when many of the Detroit Tigers Believers loudly urged the team to select Jack Leiter from Vanderbilt. That was of course not an option, but that does not leave the organization unmanaged. These bloodlines currently have a station in Toledo with Mark Leiter Jr., Jack’s cousin.

The Tigers signed Leiter Jr. ahead of the 2021 season. He is a 30 year veteran who has accumulated over 100 MLB innings. With the way things are going in Toledo, he may have a chance to raise that figure – on his five starts in July he hit 25 innings, skipped 32 and allowed only two runs, including a distance of 16 goalless Innings end the month.

Scouting the stats line suggests that Leiter Jr. shouldn’t have left Erie, but mind you, his 5.26 ERA for the Seawolves is likely inflated due to the small sample sizes. Realistically, his FIP was under four and he only gave up twice more than two runs in one start. So he was promoted to the Mud Hens, one step away from returning to The Show.

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The ladder bloodlines are recorded. While his cousin and uncle have most of the family spotlight, his father, Mark Leiter Sr., threw well over 1,000 innings in the MLB. Pitching is in the genes.

Head Jr. was originally from the Philadelphia Phillies in 2013 as the 22nd rounder from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He made it into Double-A in his third professional season; he would also spend his entire fourth season there. His fifth season started with Philadelphia’s triple-A roster, but ended with Head Jr. in the majors. That was 2017. He would throw just under 17 innings the following year before he was marked for use.

However, this was not the end for Mr. Leiter Jr. as the Toronto Blue Jays demanded him from the waivers on September 1 and ended 2018 with them. In November he was accepted again by the DFA, but then directly to the minors. From there he went to the IL throughout 2019 before deciding to work as an independent agency. Obviously, 2020 was what 2020 was, and he signed with the Tigers for the 2021 season.

With the kind of season Leiter Jr. is having, he could make his way back to MLB. Detroit may need some arms on the line. Signing at the moment looks to be mutually beneficial. Not bad for a minor league deal.

So let’s dive in.

Fastball

One of four fields of play that Leiter Jr. will unleash at any given time, the fastball sits generally 91-93 mph on the stadium guns. The key to this pitch is to machine it on either side of the plate, which it does well. It seems that a lot of this bike comes from its arm speed, which is less peppy than usual for such a case. By that I mean, it looks like more effort. Either way, here are some fastballs.

As these three GIFs show, he generally likes to keep his fastball low and work downhill with it. This works well for a number of reasons. One is the rest of his arsenal that comes up in the next few sections. The other is that the fastball should play best with its arm slot when working downhill and creating that angle.

His cousin has unique fastball properties due to its low release, but Head Jr. has an exaggerated arm slit. So, by working down, he creates harder angles for the hitter. In theory, this means that his ball is not playing as well in the zone. Well, that’s not true either.

Believe it or not, Head Jr. likes to raise the fastball every now and then. It’s part of his sequencing that is a joy for pitching nerds. It works when set up, but it looks like it can generate a bit of drive too.

It’s a very fascinating pitch if he can find it. In all honesty, he does a good job working east to west. One thing that Leiter Jr. does when he is born is to open his front shoulder before he strikes. With that, his arm needs to be in a consistent place to keep everything on time. So check out this screenshot that correlates to the second GIF of his fastball.

Note the position of the arm. Okay, now a second screenshot from a different pitch.

Do you see his arm in a different position? There is more tension in what is not where it needs to be. Here is the pitch that correlates with that late arm.

These fastballs don’t sail too often, but it happens enough to be noticed. Most of the time, Leiter Jr. paints corners on the knees and makes very good use of the playing field.

cutter

There isn’t much of a difference between the way Fastball and Cutter are used. The cutter is pretty consistent at 87-88 mph when used well, but it can slow down a bit at times. Since he tends to work in and out trying to keep the ball down, the command is key here as it can sometimes slide up the zone if he’s not careful. In general, this is a pitch he likes to use in any count. My favorite use of this playing field is when he takes lefty hitters behind with two strikes, which is one of his favorite options. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a decent camera angle to show it off.

As mentioned earlier, this is just another fastball weapon. The difference is that the pitch is more beatable when it’s on the lower speed level, which generally looks like a misfire. Intuitively, the slower it is, the more sweep it creates. However, the same late arm that occasionally haunts the fastball means some of those cutters are in the zone. This may be a bad example considering the hitter is Bobby Witt Jr., but nonetheless, this is a well-placed pitch in terms of hitting the outside edge. But it’s not down below where the catcher, and presumably head, wants it. Witt Jr. is able to get a barrel on it and drive it the other way. That happens, it’s not ONLY a Witt Jr thing ..

The ball landed on the warning lane. A bad route from the right fielder prevented him from being caught, but the point stands. It was hit hard. This cutter is a decent proposition, but for me probably its fourth grade. It’s basically just a change in pace to keep the rackets honest against the fastball.

modification

From his fourth to his best score, Leiter Jr. has a good shift based on deception. It can be a swing and miss pitch at 84-86 mph and that’s how he uses it most of the time. There’s no offer he doesn’t use on any count, but the change is mostly reserved for late counts in general. Again, sequencing is a big deal. He shows off his slow turn and fastball / cutter combo, then drops the change; the deception and movement can be fatal.

This third GIF is Head Jr. challenging Nick Pratto for what it’s worth. It is a very good throw if he is able to throw it. If you remember the timing of its mechanics in fastball, the opposite tends to happen when switching. There are times when it looks like he’s trying to overthrow it and it comes to a head. That’s more likely with this offer than going over their heads.

I always point out where those pitches are missing, but it’s important to note that his walk counts aren’t high. These are only isolated cases in the games, further tendencies for each offer. This change is, in my opinion, his out pitch and his best pitch. It’s just a question of whether there is a feeling for it.

Curve ball

Rounding out this arsenal is a slow curveball with a speed of 72 to 74 mph. The pitch has a 12-6 shape and is much slower compared to the rest of their arsenal. Where the move is best, it might be the most interesting. Broken Record: He will use it in every count. Despite his slow speed, the speed separation can be a real weapon for him. It’s over 10 mph slower than its transition. It’s a different look.

The timing problems in the delivery that affect the fastball will also find their way into the curveball. When it happens, it’s hard for that big looping pitch to miss high because it collapses. This is the closest thing to timing to really affect the field of play.

When it comes to timing, speed, and anything in general about this curveball, it’s important to keep Leiter Jr.’s arm speed in mind. He slows down noticeably when he takes the slow turn. If it works, it works, but it complicates the timing of the entire delivery for the breaking ball. To illustrate this, there are two pitches in this GIF and I tried to isolate just the pitcher and catcher. It’s hard to say, but arm speed is slower on the second pitch, the curveball.

That will complete the arsenal and frankly it’s an interesting one when it is all put together. There is a lot for a batsman to think about as he can sequence and use those pitches in any count.

Final thoughts

Head Jr. was great this year, there’s no getting around it. His arsenal is playing well and although the numbers in Double-A look worse, he’s pitched the same way. A four-pitch mix that is ready at any time, it’s kind of an arm in control of everything else. Run numbers are low and even if the count goes up to three balls, Head Jr. can fight without giving up too much in the zone. It’s the definition of pitchability that allows it to thrive where the raw material may not be.

We don’t look into a journeyman minor league starter like this very often. Despite numerous strong appearances for Toledo, he is still the type who can at best get one or three places on the grid. The guy you hope can get you a decent couple of innings without exploding until a better option comes back from injury. But he’s having a nice season by those standards and could get a call to help the Tigers out on the track.

Leiter Jr. has been a long journey, but the Tigers risked him and it is paying off. Even if there may not be a clear path at the moment, it is certainly good enough where the next chance should be. After not playing for two years due to injury and a pandemic, this is the kind of situation Leiter Jr. can hope for. The last time he wore a major league jersey was in 2018, and a strong July, coupled with an injury-induced thin rotation of the Tigers, suggests he may be wearing one again soon.