Texas Rangers right-hander Jack Leiter may still be developing at the major league level, but his final spring tune-up provided a clear picture of what the next step in his development could look like.

Leiter had one of his best performances this spring in Tuesday's exhibition finale against the Kansas City Royals. He pitched four scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, walking none, and striking out six. On the surface, it appeared to be a dominant finish to the camp. But the real story was how he got there.

According to Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News, Leiter's new approach appears to be based on attacking hitters earlier and finishing them more effectively. That could be a significant development for the Rangers as they prepare to rely on the 25-year-old throughout the regular season. Last year, one of the most significant issues that limited Leiter was his proclivity to nibble once he was ahead in counts. That frequently increased his pitch count and prevented him from working late into games.

Against Kansas City, this was not the case.

Leiter threw 68% of his pitches for strikes in two-strike counts, averaging only 1.7 pitches. That may appear to be a minor adjustment, but it represents significant progress for a pitcher who averaged 2.3 pitches per two-strike count last season. Over the course of a full outing, that kind of efficiency can add up quickly, giving him a much better chance of pitching into the sixth or seventh inning rather than exiting early.

Manager Skip Schumaker made it clear that Leiter performs best when he remains aggressive in the zone. That's exactly what the Rangers saw in this game. Leiter threw first-pitch strikes to 10 of the 15 batters he faced, putting himself in a good position and controlling the tempo.

That is as important as the strikeouts.

Leiter will get the ball Monday against the Baltimore Orioles, and the Rangers now have reason to believe he is entering the season with a more polished plan of attack. He is still an unfinished product, but if this more direct, strike-oriented version of Leiter continues, Texas may finally see the deeper starts and bigger results it has been hoping for.

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