Leiter faced a tense fifth inning during which he allowed three runs but absorbed cheers for his effort as Texas climbed back. His moment of admiration for Helman and the ensuing rally highlighted the growing chemistry on a Rangers club leaning on young talent in a tight divisional race.

Leiter opened well, then faced a fifth-inning spike that led to a mound visit and his exit, but he offered a glimpse of potential in Texas’s rotation as the series progressed.

Leiter sits on the brink of a rookie breakout as Texas pushes for a Wild Card spot. In a game with a Brewers bullpen plan, Leiter’s 3.74 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 127 1/3 innings provide upside, though Milwaukee’s bullpen-day look could limit his run length. Expect Rangers offense to lean on Leiter’s upside while Brewers capitalize on bullpen leverage for late-inning texture. DFS angles favor Leiter’s strikeout upside with risk balanced by bullpen depth on Milwaukee’s side.

Leiter is praised as potentially the league’s best rookie pitcher, with a 3.74 ERA in 127 2/3 innings and a fast-rising 2.0 WAR. Since the All-Star break, he’s shown improved command and secondary-pitch usage, with roughly four starts left that could influence Rookie of the Year voting and rest-of-season fantasy value.

Leiter has posted three quality starts in a row with a 2.80 ERA and 11.0 K/9 since August, helping his case to stay in Texas’ rotation and provide a steady punch of strikeouts in upcoming starts.