Jordan Leasure is a talented right-handed relief pitcher in the Dodgers organization who fits every description of a young prospect that the Dodgers want. He has a lanky frame at 6’3, 215 pounds, he is a hard thrower with good secondary stuff, and he has always valued his endeavors off the field as much or more as he has his accomplishments on it.
Leasure is big, he is talented, he is smart, he is motivated and he is a great teammate and person. He sums up the Dodgers culture all in one person, and he is a model of how it works in real life.
Riverview
Leasure grew up in the Tampa area and was fortunate enough to play in a great program at Riverview High School under Bill Leiby who built a powerhouse during his 15-year tenure as head skipper of the Sharks. Under Leiby’s direction, the Tampa area High School won two district titles and qualified for five regional tournament appearances, and Leasure attributes a lot of his baseball success to that program and the coaches that built it.
I got really lucky going into Riverview into a great baseball program, I mean they built that baseball program from the ground up. Going in as a Freshman was unbelievable going into that school and growing in that program and they helped me a ton. I had a lot of great coaches there and they really developed me as a pitcher.
Leasure continued to talk about how he started throwing harder.
I didn’t go into the program as a pitcher because I was small and didn’t really throw hard so I went in as an infielder then I got a little bigger and started throwing a little harder and that helped a lot. I learned a lot from Coach Leiby, and Coach Rodriguez, I mean those guys were awesome. Being in that program really taught me how to win and be competitive so I’m very thankful for that.
University of Tampa
Going into his senior year, Leasure was coming off surgery and his future at the next level was up in the air. He didn’t have a whole lot of offers, but what he did have was the only offer he would ever need. During the Fall of his senior year, he was invited to pitch in front of the coaches at the University of Tampa, UT, and it was an experience that shaped the direction of his career for good.
The Head coach at UT is Joe Urso, who has won 5 National Titles, more than any other college baseball coach. He has also led the Spartans to 16 Sunshine Conference titles and 11 Regional titles and has produced 74 draft picks. He has built UT into a DII baseball power, and knowing that the school also has great academics, the decision to become a Spartan was made very easy for Leasure.
You can’t really turn down an offer from a place like that. The academics are unbelievable, the program is legendary, getting to play for Coach Urso and Coach Militello was great, and if I didn’t go there, I don’t know where I would have ended up, but I probably wouldn’t still be playing baseball.
Once Leasure reached campus, he kept getting bigger and started throwing harder, and he also learned a lot of the finer details of what to throw and to which locations, and when. He got good mound time as a Freshman and Sophomore, then had Tommy John surgery during his third year on Campus, in 2019, and after a period of rehab, he returned to the Spartans and threw in 8 games in 2020.
When Covid shut down the 2020 season, the Tampa native focused on getting bigger and stronger and throwing harder as well.
Whenever Covid shut everything down I just kind of took that year to get a lot stronger and put some weight on and try to start throwing harder, and I came back after Covid and had a really good year in 2021.
Leasure had better than a good year in 2021, his last year as a Spartan was, in fact, off the charts.
During the 2021 season at Tampa, he allowed a grand total of 5 earned runs in 38.1 innings and recorded an ERA of just 0,94 and a WHIP of just 0.60. He had shown he was past the Tommy John surgery, and that he was back and better than ever, and, as a result, the Dodgers chose him in the 14th Round of the 2021 draft.
Dodgers
The 2021 Minor League season started later due to Covid, but then it ended later as well, as the season went into September.
That was one of the positive outcomes of the Covid shutdowns because it allowed guys like Leasure more time at the end of the year to advance. He was moved to Low A Rancho Cucamonga in September of 2021, then started 2022 in Great Lakes before being moved to AA Tulsa at the end of April where he has settled in as one of the most reliable relievers on the Drillers roster.
He also had long stretches of dominance.
During June he had 10 outings that spanned 9 innings and he gave up a grand total of 0 runs and paired that with a WHIP of just 1.00. He had 12 strikeouts to just 4 walks, and when paired with his last outing in May and his first outing in July, he went 12 outings in a row without giving up a run.
Fastball
Leasure features a fastball that touches 97, a tight slider, and a change-up that he is working on and looking to throw more in games. Like most power pitchers, he likes to ride the 4 seam fastball up in the zone, but he also gets good carry to his fastball down in the zone too.
Here is a video that shows the riding effect of his fastball in slow-motion, followed by game videos showing it in “real-time” action. It also includes a fastball down in the zone to show the kind of “carry” he gets on the pitch.
Slider
Leasure features a good, tight slider that is 8-10 mph off of his fastball, and it tunnels well off the fastball as well, so it is a very effective secondary pitch for him.
Changeup
Here is a good look at his changeup which, as he said, he is throwing more in games. The change-up is a very feel-heavy pitch and one that he has been working very hard on in the bullpen to get the feel for and trust.
Fast Track
Leasure is a talented right-handed pitcher that is being moved quickly through the system, which tells you the type of progress he is making and the rate of speed at which he is doing it. He only spent 3 weeks in Great Lakes in 2022 before being promoted to AA Tulsa, and, in 2021, he only spent 2 weeks at the complex, after getting drafted, before getting moved to Low A Rancho Cucamonga.
All of this is for good reason because he is very good, and getting better by the day.
His strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2022 was almost 4 to 1 and it was 4.3 to 1 in 2021, so he has great stuff that is only going to continue to get better and possibly more diverse as he incorporates his change up more as he continues to mature.
When you combine those physical tools with his intangible qualities and the fact that he grew up in programs that taught him how to win, it’s easy to see how exciting his future is.
Yogi Berra once said that baseball is 90% mental, and the other half is physical, and while the math in that quote doesn’t exactly add up, the message certainly does.
Baseball players have to be tough, both mentally and physically, many times more that they have to be talented, because the mental challenges of the game can’t be mastered.
For the Dodgers, conquering the challenges of the game starts with culture and creating an environment that is comfortable, but, at the same time, ultra-competitive. The exact environment that Nick Nastrini, one of the most talented pitchers in the Dodgers organization, has come to flourish in and, as a result, has become stronger than ever.
Before the Dodgers
Nastrini grew up in San Diego and was a standout on the diamond at Cathedral Catholic High School, the same High School that produced Austin Barnes, and had the great fortune of playing for the legendary Gary Remiker. Remiker has coached a Cy Young winner, a #1 pick, and a #2 pick, so getting to play for a coach at that level, that has that kind of track record was a great experience for the young Southern California native.
It was really nice playing for Coach Remiker with him having coached all those legitimate guys that had such a great track record in baseball, so I knew I was in good hands there. Our pitching coach was great there too and they just overall have a great group of guys, so it was really nice to be around such high-level baseball players at such a young age.
During his Senior year at Cathedral, Nastrini went 8-2 as a Don and, after winning several of the most prestigious post-season awards, became recognized as one of the top prospects in California.
He had several options following his standout prep career, and eventually chose UCLA for a couple of very simple reasons, he wanted to win, and he wanted to stay close to home. UCLA, a school just a short drive north of San Diego, checked every box, especially considering that they had recently won a National title in 2013.
I mean, getting recruited by Coach Savage so early in the process was very exciting for me and my family. I pretty much chose to go there because I wanted to win and felt like Coach Savage and UCLA gave me the best chance to do that. We didn’t get to the College World Series but we had a pretty good team my Freshman year in 2019, and a pretty solid team in 2020 before Covid shut everything down, then in 2021 we just couldn’t close it out, but I really enjoyed my time there, and I learned a lot, and I have nothing to say but great things about Coach Savage and the program.
Getting Drafted
The Dodgers have the best developmental system in the world and one of the reasons is that, while they have detailed plans for each player in the organization, at the same time, each player is given the freedom to be themselves.
And that type of environment has been hugely beneficial for Nastrini.
As he continues to rise from one level to the next, the SoCal native is rewarding the Dodgers for acting upon their vision and drafting him in the 4th Round of the 2021 Draft.
Here’s what he had to say about being a Southern California boy and getting drafted by the Dodgers.
Yeah, it’s definitely a dream come true being able to stay in Southern California and staying close to my family. I could go home on off days when I was at UCLA to see my family and that was a huge blessing. I know I’m in Oklahoma right now, but getting to do that at the professional level and hopefully ending up in Los Angeles will end up being very fun for my family.
Time to Work
Another aspect of the Dodger’s developmental system that makes it elite is the coordination of the coaches between levels. Durin O’Linger at Rancho, Dave Anderson at Great Lakes, and Brian Dennick at Tulsa have all coached together on the same teams, and communicate on a very regular basis about the pitchers in the system. So, the handoff from one level to the next when guys get moved up is seamless, which is huge because it allows prospects like Nastrini to keep their momentum that earned them a promotion in the first place.
Here’s what Nastrini had to say about continuing to move up through the system:
I mean, it’s just been about a lot of work with Dave Anderson, the pitching coach at Great Lakes and our pitching development staff. As a whole, in the Minor Leagues, we have a staff that communicates very well, and our Minor League Pitching Coordinator, Rob Hill, was in constant communication with our pitching coach in Great Lakes and he is a pitching guru. He’s gonna be in baseball for quite a long time, and I have nothing to say but great things about Rob and how he helped my transition into pro ball. It’s been incredible how much he’s helped, so I thank him a bunch for that.
Nastrini went on to talk about the environment the Dodgers create from day to day:
The Dodgers give you so much freedom to be you, and It’s a very productive feeling because you go into the day and you’re able to do exactly what you know you need to do to get better. The org. is in communication with you too in terms of how you want to go about your day or week in between starts and they communicate that very well, so I have nothing but great things to say about the organization helping me grow as a baseball player.
Feature Cut
Nastrini features a 4-pitch mix with a 4-seam fastball that sits around 95, a change-up that is 10 miles an hour off of that at 85, a slider that is 86-87, and a curveball that is 78-80. Here is a look at his fastball and the ride he gets at the top of the zone.
Secondaries
Here’s a good look at Nastrini’s secondary pitches which are his slider at 86-87, his change up at 85-87, and his curveball which is 78-80.
Big Goals
Nastrini couldn’t be happier in the Dodgers system and has set the bar very high as to his future expectations. When asked what his goals are he simply said,
My goal is to make it to the Big Leagues as soon as I can. I still have a lot of work to do, but the goal is definitely to get to the Big Leagues as fast as I can.
Nastrini has already made the jump to AA and had success, so he is inching closer and closer to his goal of making the MLB. The organization has a plan in place that is being executed every day, and everyone, both Nastrini and the Dodgers, are 100% on the same page, so his ascent should continue to accelerate.
All the pieces are in place for Nastrini to, one day, in the very near future, be back home in Southern California with his family where he can go home again on off days, but this time as a Major Leaguer.
I would like to say thank you very much to Nick for granting this interview and for this feature to be written to tell at least a part of his story. The interview was done after his start on August 30th around 10:15 at night so it was very kind of him to stick around and talk. It was a pleasure getting to speak with this young man and I am so excited to watch his ascent to reaching his goals in the next year or two and pitch for the Dodgers, which, as a SoCal boy, as he said, would be a dream come true.
Become a subscriber to our YouTube page and follow us on Twitter @dodger_daily or Facebook or Instagram @dodger.daily or tiktok @dodgers_daily.
Yogi Berra once said that baseball is 90% mental, and the other half is physical, and while the math in that quote doesn’t exactly add up, the message certainly does.
Baseball players have to be tough, both mentally and physically, many times more that they have to be talented, because the mental challenges of the game can’t be mastered.
For the Dodgers, conquering the challenges of the game starts with culture and creating an environment that is comfortable, but, at the same time, ultra-competitive. The exact environment that Nick Nastrini, one of the most talented pitchers in the Dodgers organization, has come to flourish in and, as a result, has become stronger than ever.
Before the Dodgers
Nastrini grew up in San Diego and was a standout on the diamond at Cathedral Catholic High School, the same High School that produced Austin Barnes, and had the great fortune of playing for the legendary Gary Remiker. Remiker has coached a Cy Young winner, a #1 pick, and a #2 pick, so getting to play for a coach at that level, that has that kind of track record was a great experience for the young Southern California native.
It was really nice playing for Coach Remiker with him having coached all those legitimate guys that had such a great track record in baseball, so I knew I was in good hands there. Our pitching coach was great there too and they just overall have a great group of guys, so it was really nice to be around such high-level baseball players at such a young age.
During his Senior year at Cathedral, Nastrini went 8-2 as a Don and, after winning several of the most prestigious post-season awards, became recognized as one of the top prospects in California.
He had several options following his standout prep career, and eventually chose UCLA for a couple of very simple reasons, he wanted to win, and he wanted to stay close to home. UCLA, a school just a short drive north of San Diego, checked every box, especially considering that they had recently won a National title in 2013.
I mean, getting recruited by Coach Savage so early in the process was very exciting for me and my family. I pretty much chose to go there because I wanted to win and felt like Coach Savage and UCLA gave me the best chance to do that. We didn’t get to the College World Series but we had a pretty good team my Freshman year in 2019, and a pretty solid team in 2020 before Covid shut everything down, then in 2021 we just couldn’t close it out, but I really enjoyed my time there, and I learned a lot, and I have nothing to say but great things about Coach Savage and the program.
Getting Drafted
The Dodgers have the best developmental system in the world and one of the reasons is that, while they have detailed plans for each player in the organization, at the same time, each player is given the freedom to be themselves.
And that type of environment has been hugely beneficial for Nastrini.
As he continues to rise from one level to the next, the SoCal native is rewarding the Dodgers for acting upon their vision and drafting him in the 4th Round of the 2021 Draft.
Here’s what he had to say about being a Southern California boy and getting drafted by the Dodgers.
Yeah, it’s definitely a dream come true being able to stay in Southern California and staying close to my family. I could go home on off days when I was at UCLA to see my family and that was a huge blessing. I know I’m in Oklahoma right now, but getting to do that at the professional level and hopefully ending up in Los Angeles will end up being very fun for my family.
Time to Work
Another aspect of the Dodger’s developmental system that makes it elite is the coordination of the coaches between levels. Durin O’Linger at Rancho, Dave Anderson at Great Lakes, and Brian Dennick at Tulsa have all coached together on the same teams, and communicate on a very regular basis about the pitchers in the system. So, the handoff from one level to the next when guys get moved up is seamless, which is huge because it allows prospects like Nastrini to keep their momentum that earned them a promotion in the first place.
Here’s what Nastrini had to say about continuing to move up through the system:
I mean, it’s just been about a lot of work with Dave Anderson, the pitching coach at Great Lakes and our pitching development staff. As a whole, in the Minor Leagues, we have a staff that communicates very well, and our Minor League Pitching Coordinator, Rob Hill, was in constant communication with our pitching coach in Great Lakes and he is a pitching guru. He’s gonna be in baseball for quite a long time, and I have nothing to say but great things about Rob and how he helped my transition into pro ball. It’s been incredible how much he’s helped, so I thank him a bunch for that.
Nastrini went on to talk about the environment the Dodgers create from day to day:
The Dodgers give you so much freedom to be you, and It’s a very productive feeling because you go into the day and you’re able to do exactly what you know you need to do to get better. The org. is in communication with you too in terms of how you want to go about your day or week in between starts and they communicate that very well, so I have nothing but great things to say about the organization helping me grow as a baseball player.
Feature Cut
Nastrini features a 4-pitch mix with a 4-seam fastball that sits around 95, a change-up that is 10 miles an hour off of that at 85, a slider that is 86-87, and a curveball that is 78-80. Here is a look at his fastball and the ride he gets at the top of the zone.
Secondaries
Here’s a good look at Nastrini’s secondary pitches which are his slider at 86-87, his change up at 85-87, and his curveball which is 78-80.
Big Goals
Nastrini couldn’t be happier in the Dodgers system and has set the bar very high as to his future expectations. When asked what his goals are he simply said,
My goal is to make it to the Big Leagues as soon as I can. I still have a lot of work to do, but the goal is definitely to get to the Big Leagues as fast as I can.
Nastrini has already made the jump to AA and had success, so he is inching closer and closer to his goal of making the MLB. The organization has a plan in place that is being executed every day, and everyone, both Nastrini and the Dodgers, are 100% on the same page, so his ascent should continue to accelerate.
All the pieces are in place for Nastrini to, one day, in the very near future, be back home in Southern California with his family where he can go home again on off days, but this time as a Major Leaguer.
I would like to say thank you very much to Nick for granting this interview and for this feature to be written to tell at least a part of his story. The interview was done after his start on August 30th around 10:15 at night so it was very kind of him to stick around and talk. It was a pleasure getting to speak with this young man and I am so excited to watch his ascent to reaching his goals in the next year or two and pitch for the Dodgers, which, as a SoCal boy, as he said, would be a dream come true.
Become a subscriber to our YouTube page and follow us on Twitter @dodger_daily or Facebook or Instagram @dodger.daily or tiktok @dodgers_daily.
