SURPRISE, Ariz. — RHP José Leclerc signed a four-year contract extension through the 2022 season to remaining with the Texas Rangers, the club announced Wednesday.
Financial terms were not discussed, but the club will have options for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Leclerc earned the 2018 Rangers Pitcher of the Year award for posing a 2-3 record with 12 saves, a 1.56 ERA (10 ER/57.2 IP) over 59 appearances. The 25-year-old reliever held opposing to the lowest batting average (.126) of any MLB reliever in 2018 and ranked among American League relief leaders in opponents OPS (second, .431), ERA (second, 1.56), and WHIP (third, 0.85), and strikeouts per 9.0 innings (seventh, 13.27). He also converted each of his last 12 save chances along with a 21.0-inning scoreless streak.
Leclerc has held opponents to a .142/.284/.231/.515 slash line since the beginning of his second stint with the Rangers on Sept. 4, 2016. In that time, Leclerc has ranked in the top-4 among opponent batting average, slugging, and OPS. The Dominican Republic native has spent his entire career with the Rangers since signing at 16 years old.