WATCH: Jack Leftwich ties batter up with a strikeout
Former Florida Gators right-hander Jack Leftwich is off to an incredible start in his professional career. On Sunday night, Leftwich had one of the nastiest strikeouts of the year on a slider that was swung at and missed, with devastating consequences.
Leftwich would throw six scoreless innings in the game, striking out eight. His outing was cut short due to a rain delay but it was a quality start for the former Gator.
Leftwich was picked 216th overall by the Cleveland Guardians in the 2021 MLB Draft. He signed with the Indians for $167,000 signing bonus. This season, Leftwich has been dominant at the Single-A level. Playing for the Lynchburg Hillcats, he has posted a 3-1 record with a 2.13 ERA and 62 strikeouts in just 42.1 innings pitched.
| Year | W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | K | WHIP |
| 2022 | 3 | 1 | 2.13 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 42.1 | 62 | 0.85 |
He has spent a lot of time coming out of the bullpen for the Hillcats, making just two starts in his 12 appearances in 2022.
Leftwich was drafted alongside his college roommate Tommy Mace, who was promoted to high-A ball with the Lake County Captains.
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Leftwich on the Gators
The righty from Orlando had a stellar three-year career with Florida. Leftwich enrolled at UF in 2018. As a freshman, he pitched in 24 games with 12 starts. He posted a 4.20 ERA. His 81.1 innings, the most by a freshman at Florida since 2014 (Logan Shore, 95.2 IP). He really turned the corner as the postseason began. Leftwich
As a sophomore, he made 13 appearances, all weekend starts, and posted a 5.31 ERA over 62.2 innings, second-most on the team. He earned SEC Pitcher of the week honors for pitching a complete game shutout at Missouri on May 17. Leftwich allowed just two hits and matched his career-high with nine strikeouts. It’s the last nine-inning complete game a Gator pitcher has thrown.
He threw four times in 2020 prior to the season being canceled. Leftwich returned to the Gators in 2021. He made 24 appearances including six starts on the mound, finishing with a 7-4 record and team-leading five saves. Leftwich pitched to a team-best 3.36 ERA and .208 BAA (among qualifying pitchers) across 69.2 innings. He registered 78 strikeouts, equating to a 10.1 strikeout per nine innings ratio. He also allowed just 54 hits all season long.
For his career, Leftwich pitched 235.1 innings pitched and racked up 247 strikeouts for a 9.4 strikeout per nine ratio. He held opposing hitters to a .233 batting average.
