José Leclerc's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc will be working low-leverage situations temporarily, per manager Bruce Bochy. The Rangers were pleased with Leclerc's outing during Friday's 12-8 win over the division-rival Houston Astros after the right-hander struck out two batters, but it was an extremely low-leverage spot against the seventh, eighth, and ninth hitters with Texas up 12-3 in the sixth inning. It's bad news for fantasy managers hoping to get saves out of Leclerc, who holds a dismal 12.00 ERA and 2.33 WHIP with one blown save over six frames. The 30-year-old is not an instant drop candidate in fantasy, as he could work his way back into the ninth-inning mix with improved play, but David Robertson and Kirby Yates both have plenty of closing experience. Robertson, only rostered in 43% of Yahoo leagues, has given up just one run over 8 1/3 innings and should be added across all formats until this situation is settled.

Texas Rangers right-handed reliever Jose Leclerc blew the save against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday when he gave up a two-run home run to catcher Shea Langeliers, his third home run of the game. Leclerc has now allowed at least one run in four of his first five outings so far this year. "He's healthy, he's fine," manager Bruce Bochy said. Texas' bullpen was a glaring weakness last year despite winning the World Series, but the skipper isn't panicking just yet in 2024. "These guys, with what they've done, no, I don't have concern. You stay behind them. They're human, they're gonna make some mistakes. That's a part of the game, but no. Now, it's too early to be concerned." Leclerc remains the team's closer for now, but he's on the hot seat early on and could be replaced by David Robertson or Kirby Yates if his early season struggles persist.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc got demolished on Sunday, leading to a 9-5 loss at the hands of the Chicago Cubs. Leclerc entered into a 5-5 game in the ninth, but things unraveled for him quickly. He walked three and allowed a hit before being pulled. All four of those runners ended up scoring, making for an ugly final line. Leclerc has now given up five runs and walked five in 1 IP this year. If he continues to struggle, the Rangers could opt to go with David Robertson as their closer or use a committee. It might not take many more bad appearances, so Leclerc owners should be looking for backup options in case the struggles continue.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jose Leclerc has a strong possibility of opening the regular season as the team's closer, according to manager Bruce Bochy. The 30-year-old ended last season as the closer and appears in a good spot to keep that role. Last season, Leclerc finished with a 2.68 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, and 67 strikeouts in 57 games with the Rangers. It's worth noting that veteran right-hander David Robertson could be in the mix as well. However, Leclerc looks locked in for a majority of the save chances in Texas right now. He should be at least a top-20 closing option heading into the regular season.

Texas Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc tossed his second straight solid outing Friday versus the Kansas City Royals. The right-hander tossed a scoreless, hitless inning with two strikeouts, tossing his second straight scoreless frame in the process. Leclerc allowed two earned runs on three hits, including a homer, in just 1/3 of an inning in his spring debut on Feb. 29 but has bounced back nicely since. The 30-year-old was excellent for the second straight season in 2023, tossing a 2.68 ERA in 57 outings but he also walked 12% of the hitters he faced. He is the projected Rangers closer to open the season following the offseason departure of Will Smith. However, he won't have a long leash as the club added David Robertson this offseason while Josh Sborz and Kirby Yates could also be in the mix if Leclerc struggles out of the gate. He is a worthwhile investment with a 195.3 ADP but he is far from a sure thing.