Jack Leftwich

Leftwich was draft-eligible in the 2020 class, when he ranked as the No. 157 player in the BA 500, but he went unselected and returned to Florida for his fourth season, where he posted a 3.36 ERA over 69.2 innings, with 78 strikeouts (10.1 K/9) and 22 walks (2.8 BB/9). Leftwich stepped into a full-time starting role for the Gators in 2019 and seemed poised to keep that role this spring but made just six starts and 18 separate appearances out of the bullpen. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Leftwich has a solid pitcher’s frame and a three-pitch mix including a fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range but has been into the upper 90s at its best, as well as a slider and changeup. The slider is Leftwich’s go-to secondary in the low 80s and will flash average potential, but scouts note that it comes in well below-average at times as well. He throws a low-to-mid-80s changeup but has used it only sparingly this spring, perhaps because of a larger role out of the bullpen. Leftwich does have solid control, so some teams might still like him as a starter, but there’s also concern from teams about how he locks out his front knee in his landing.