3-1 – Leiter lights ‘em up as Rangers take opener from O’s 5-2

Mar 30, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter (22) throws during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr. -Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.

-Imagn Images The Texas Rangers scored five runs while the Baltimore Orioles scored two runs. The east coast road trip to begin the 2026 season rolled into Baltimore where the Rangers got an early look at the American League East’s Orioles. Unfortunately for the O’s, that meant they would get an early look at Jack Leiter and they didn’t find much to their liking.

There was plenty to like about Leiter from our perspective, however, as the former first-rounder had his good stuff and enough command to wield it tonight. Fresh off a rookie season where he turned the corner and situated himself as a rotation mainstay, Leiter’s sophomore year began a tad dicey as he struggled to find the strike zone in the first inning after Texas had staked him to an early 1-0 lead. Needing strikes, Leiter tried one right down the middle to Gunnar Henderson and Henderson did what he often does by depositing it over the fence to even the score.

From there, until another brief bout of wildness in the fifth inning when Baltimore scored their second run, Leiter was cruising with scintillating swing-and-miss stuff. In fact, on the night, Leiter elicited 21 swings and misses in his 92 offerings which is now his big league best total and the third most from a pitcher so far this season. Supporting Leiter was a lineup that came out looking to make Baltimore starter Chris Bassitt sweat in his first start with the Orioles.