The Riverview native credits UT pitching coach Sam Militello for much of what he has learned
TAMPA, Fla. – Jordan Leasure did not go far to attend college. The family home in Riverview is only 15 miles from the University of Tampa campus, so it was not as though there was some long-distance adjustment he had to make at the beginning of his collegiate career in the fall of 2017.
When it came to baseball, there was no mistaking what was expected of the righthanded pitcher even before he put on a Spartans uniform.
“The biggest thing is being in that culture,” said Leasure, before his White Sox took the field and defeated the Rays at Steinbrenner Field on Monday evening. “You show up every fall and you are expected to win the national championship. That culture shaped me in being super competitive and wanting to win every time I went out there.”
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The righthanded pitcher twice experienced the College World Series during his five seasons with Joe Urso’s program. Unfortunately, Leasure (pronounced “leisure”) was recovering from Tommy John surgery and did not play in 2019 when UT won it all, though he experienced the spotlight of the grand stage in 2021 when the Spartans fell short. He kept on top of the team’s run to its 10th national title this year.
“They grinded it out,” he said. “It was tough, but they did it.”
Leasure, who retired the Rays in order in the eighth inning of Monday’s 8-3 White Sox win and much to the delight of family and friends in attendance, is enjoying his first full season in the big leagues. He has made 40 appearances, including one as an opener, and is 2-5 with two saves and a 4.25 ERA. The 6-foot-3 and 220-pounder has both of his wins and one of his saves with a 3.60 ERA in his last 15 appearances, a stretch that largely coincides with the Chicago bullpen compiling an American League-low 2.70 ERA since June 19.
“I feel like I am in a pretty good spot now and I am doing well, said Leasure, who turns 27 on August 15. “The results aren’t always what you want them to be, but that’s part of it. Some things you can’t control, and it’s important to understand that as well.”
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He couldn’t control the injury bug that took a bite out of his 2024 rookie season. A right shoulder impingement in June hindered him throughout the season’s second half when he appeared in only three games with the Pale Hose. Though his numbers did not look good (6.32 ERA) in 33 appearances, Leasure felt he built enough momentum while learning how to take care of himself at the MLB level.
“I felt like I was able to take that into the off-season and come back this year a little bit stronger,” said the 14th-round pick of the Dodgers in 2021, who was traded to Chicago in July 2023. “Also, kind of understanding the difference between the minor league schedule and the big-league schedule and what I need to do to get my body to recover and be ready for the next day.”
Leasure added what he felt was an effective splitter to his arsenal while rehabbing at Triple-A Charlotte last season. He was not happy with his command of the pitch during his off-season routine, and wanted to get a good feel for it again in spring training. Alas, only recently has he felt like the pitch has been working well for him.
“I started having a good feel for it again the past month or so,” he said. “That was a big thing I wanted to do for this season. I have been throwing it consistently in games and getting good results.”
He had good results at UT while working under the tutelage of former Yankees pitcher Sam Militello, who was the Division-II player of the year with the Spartans in 1990.
“He was super smart with game planning, scouting and pitch sequencing,” said Leasure. “I felt like it got to a point where I was kind of on the same page as him knowing the type of pitches he might call next, just following the flow of the way he worked. I feel like I have taken that into pro ball, too, with the way I try to sequence stuff. He was always super helpful.”
Leasure has been helping himself by learning and adjusting his approach while toiling for a last-place Chicago club that has nonetheless been competitive. The White Sox carry a four-game win streak into Tuesday evening’s game (7:05, moved up from 7:35 due to potential bad weather) against the Rays and have outscored the opposition 35-10 during their mini run.
“Small mechanical changes (to your delivery) will happen without you even realizing it, so try to stay on top of those while working with the pitching coaches and make adjustments as you go,” he said.
Just like he learned at UT.
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