Elliott: Another Leiter on the way and Florida State ace is a Canuck
Former Langley Blaze RHP Cam Leiter was the Friday night starter for the Florida State Seminoles last spring and is 2025 draft eligible.
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
Cam Leiter has literally travelled a long way from spending his formative years in Maple Ridge, BC to being the ace of the Florida State Seminoles staff last spring.
“Back then I was a typical Canadian kid,” Leiter said. “I played spring hockey for the BC Lightening, box lacrosse, triple-A hockey for the Ridge Meadows Rustlers ... stayed home to watch the National Hockey League trade deadline ... watched Canada in World Juniors, the Sedin twins, highlights of Patrick Kane with Chicago and the Vancouver riot.”
(After the Boston Bruins win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup a fight and then a riot broke out. Almost 150 people were injured, including four by stabbing. About 100 arrests were made. In all, there were 887 charges against 301 people with an estimated $4 million in damages.)
Oh, there was one other past time for Leiter: he played baseball.
If the last name of the pitcher rings a bell with Toronto ball fans (or New York Yankees, New York Mets, or Florida Marlins followers). It should. Cam’s uncle is lefty Al Leiter of the 1992-93 World Series winning Blue Jays and one of the sharpest analysts on TV these days.
Cam Leiter said he lived in BC from grade 7 to grade 10. His father, Kurt Leiter, Al’s brother, pitched at Oklahoma State and then three seasons in the Baltimore Orioles system. Kurt met Nicole Cadwell, a Canadian working in Boston, they wed and moved to BC.
Cam Leiter pitching for the Central Regional High Golden Eagles on Al Leiter Park at Al Kunzman Memorial Field in 2022.
“I have a dual citizenship status,” said Cam, which makes him eligible for the World Baseball Classic. “My mother grew up in Maple Ridge and always supported me.” And since there were not any other Canuck Friday night starters … he’s our new No. 1 atop the 2025 projected Canadian draft list.
Cam pitched for the Langley Blaze and coach Jamie Bodaly in the BC Junior Premier League during the 2019 season going 4-6 with one save and a 3.31 ERA. He fanned 75 in 72 innings at Milner Park and the turf of McLeod Athletic Field, home of the Blaze.
“The Blaze is such a cool program,” Cam said, “Langley is like the New York Yankees, you walk into the park with all your garb and everyone is looking at you. It was cool to be a member of the Blaze. Being a Blaze guy was the best.
“Doug Mathieson has done a lot for me and my dad. He’s a great man. We’ve kept in touch.”
Attending the 2020 Perfect Game World Wood Bat championship with the Mathieson’s Diamondbacks/Blaze team in Jupiter, Fla., was eye-opening for the young righthander. Cam said seeing all the talent was “eye opening ... the first time, I’ve ever seen so much talent, so many good players.” Mathieson, an Arizona Diamondbacks scout, runs the spring and fall trips to Arizona and Florida.
They were scheduled to reunite this fall when the Diamondbacks/Blaze team went to Jupiter, but the tournament was cancelled due to the incoming Hurricane Milton.
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We asked Cam if any of his BC teammates knew about his famous “Uncle Al?”
“Well, they knew about my family history,” Cam said, “to be a better pitcher than Al, you have to go look at Hall of Fame pitchers. Al’s been huge in my development. I haven’t done a lot ... Al’s done a lot.
“Probably at that time more people asked me about my cousin Jack, who was a high schooler at the time and was headed to Vanderbilt.”
Cam said he learned a lot “watching Jack go through the ups and downs” on his way to the majors.
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Cam moved to Bayville, NJ, also known as Leiter Land. The Leiters are one of the most successful big-league, mound families along with the Niekro brothers, the Perry brothers, the Maddux brothers, the Forsch brothers, plus the Hernandez brothers.
Al and his brother Mark combined to pitch 30 seasons in the majors, while Mark’s son Mark, Jr. has pitched five and was with the Yankees in 2024. Meanwhile, Al’s son, Jack made his debut in 2024. Now Cam is on the same Leiter highway.
In Bayville, the Little League diamonds were named the Leiter Sports Complex.
The field where the Central Regional High Golden Eagles play was re-named Al Leiter Park at Al Kunzman Memorial Field in 2022. Kunzman is the late, legendary Central head coach and was Al’s coach when Central won the 1984 NJSIAA Group 3 championship.
The brothers Leiter, from left to right: Mark, Kurt and Al. Photo: Peter Ackerman.
Kurt, Cam’s father wore No. 22 in the late 1970s pitching for Central before going off to Oklahoma State and signing with the Orioles as a free agent.
Then Mark wore No. 22, before going to Connors State and being drafted by the Orioles in 1983.
Next was Al. After his senior year of high school Al was drafted by the New York Yankees in the second round in 1984. After the three Leiter boys had departed their No. 22 was retired.
Mark Jr. attended Toms River North High in Toms River, NJ attended New Jersey Institute of Technology and was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 22nd round in 2013.
Jack also went to Delbarton School in Morristown, NJ and then Vanderbilt University. He was drafted in the first round (second over-all) to the Rangers in the 2021 draft.
So from 1984 until 2021 No. 22 at Central was retired.
“The school let me wear it,” said Cam, who wore his pop’s number, as well as uncles Mark and Al’s.
The idea for Al to donate cash came during the pandemic as he watched his son Jack and nephew Cam work out on Central’s field. And on the mound for dedication day was Cam, who pitched a complete-game one-hitter striking out 13 in a 2-0 win over rival Toms River.
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Last spring, for Florida State Cam was 5-1, with a 4.63 ERA, striking out 56 in 35 innings in his seven starts, six of them as the series opener.
The 2024 season was his first year at Florida transferring after going 4-2 with a 4.92 ERA for the Central Florida Knights. As a freshman he walked 41 and struck out 70 in 56 2/3 innings. So in two seasons he has 136 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings.
The good genes play a role in that strikeout ratio, but so too does dad Kurt, who Cam calls the most influential person in his baseball life.
“My dad made a lot of sacrifices to get me to where I am,” Cam said. “He taught me a lot about pitching. I cherish the game I and used it as an outlet. I became infatuated with the game talking pitch grips. My dad was so helpful, it was accumulative.”
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Cam may either be in Jersey of Florida, but he has memories of BC boyos ... like
_ Playing against centreman Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, BC), who played for the Northshore Winter Club ... “he had three or four goals against us.”
_ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Burnaby, BC) of the Edmonton Oilers.
_ Defenceman Tenzin Nyman (Maple Ridge BC), who skates for the Timmins Rock of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. “I had my growth spurt after I left BC ... I told him I was up to 6-foot-5. He told me had I stuck with hockey I’d ‘be in the Show.’”
And ditto on the memories for his ex-teammates and memories of older Blaze from his time on the diamond:
_ INF Nate Kirkpatrick (Surrey, BC) a sophomore with the Virginia Commonwealth Rams.
_ OF Jonny McGill (Richmond, BC) of the UBC Thunderbirds, who gained Honorable Mention on our Canadian Baseball Network 2024 team.
_ RHP Theo Millas (Burnaby, BC) who pitched for the Nevada-Reno Wolf Pack in 2024.
_ SS Brandon Nicoll (Langley, BC) of the Southern Arkansas Muleriders, who earned Third Team honors on our 25th annual All-Canadian all-Canadian college team.
_ LHP Justin Thorsteinson (Langley, BC), who will pitch as a senior for the Minnesota Gophers next spring.
_ RHP Jacob Zibin (Langley, BC), who was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians in the 10th round in 2022 and given a round-record bonus of $1.2 million. He is currently injured in the Guardians system.
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In Cam’s seven starts last spring he pitched in
_ An 11-0 win over the Butler Bulldogs (five scoreless innings, one hit, two walks, 13 strikeouts).
_ An 8-2 victory over Western Carolina Catamounts with an identical line (five scoreless, one hit, two walks, 13 strikeouts).
_ A 13-7 win over Illinois Illini (five runs in four innings).
_ A 13-0 romp against New Orleans Privateers (six scoreless, three walks, six strikeouts).
_ An 8-4 win against the Notre Dame fighting Irish (four runs allowed on six hits and two walks, while fanning 10 in 6 2/3 innings).
_ A 15-4 loss to Clemson Tigers (six runs on five walks and six hits in 2 2/3 innings, striking out three).
_ An 8-3 win over the Louisville Redbirds (three runs -- two earned -- on five hits and three walks, while striking out 12). He had arm problems after that and was shut down.
After recent surgery, Cam is scheduled to be ready for the July 2025 draft.
As Hank Williams, Jr. would sing/say Cam is “Carrying on a Family Tradition.”
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The Niekro brothers
Name Yrs W-L ERA S G GS IP SO
Phil 24 318-274 3.35 29 864 716 5,404.0 3,342
Joe 22 221-204 3.59 16 702 500 3,584.1 1,747
Totals 46 539-478 3.48 45 1,566 1,216 8,988.1 5,089
The Perry brothers
Name Yrs W-L ERA S G GS IP SO
Gaylord 22 314-265 3.11 10 777 690 5,350.0 3,534
Jim 17 215-174 3.45 10 630 447 3,285.2 1,576
Totals 39 529-439 3.23 20 1,407 1,137 8,635.2 5,110
The Maddux family
Name Yrs W-L ERA S G GS IP SO
Greg 23 355-227 3.16 0 744 740 5,008.1 3,371
Mike 15 39-37 4.05 20 472 48 861.2 564
Totals 39 394-264 3.29 20 1,216 788 5,869.0 3,935
The Clarkson family
Name Yrs W-L ERA S G GS IP SO
John 12 328-178 2.81 5 531 518 4,536.1 1,191
‘Dad’ 6 39-39 4.90 0 96 81 704.2 133
Walter 5 18-16 3.17 2 78 37 374.2 178
Totals 23 385-233 3.44 7 705 36 5,614.0 1,502
The Forsch brothers
Name Yrs W-L ERA S G GS IP SO
Bob 16 168-136 3.76 3 498 422 2,794.2 1,133
Ken 16 114-113 3.37 18 521 241 2,127.1 1,047
Totals 32 282-249 3.51 21 1,019 663 4,924.0 2,180
The Mathewson brothers
Name Yrs W-L ERA S G GS IP SO
Christy 17 373-188 2.13 30 636 552 4,788.2 2,507
Henry 2 0-1 4.91 2 3 1 11.0 2
Totals 19 373-189 2.14 32 639 553 4,799.0 2,509
The Martinez brothers
Name Yrs W-L ERA S G GS IP SO
Pedro 18 219-100 2.93 3 476 409 2,827.1 3,154
Ramon 14 135-88 3.67 0 301 297 1,895.2 1,427
Totals 32 354-188 3.03 3 777 706 4,723.0 5,581
The Hernandez brothers
Name Yrs W-L ERA S G GS IP SO
Livan 17 178-177 4.44 1 519 474 3,189.0 1,976
Orlando 9 90-65 4.13 2 219 211 1,314.2 1,086
Totals 26 268-242 4.35 3 738 685 4,503.2 3,066
The Coveleski brothers
Name Yrs W-L ERA S G GS IP SO
Stan 14 215-142 2.89 21 450 385 3,082.0 981
Harvey 9 81-55 2.39 9 198 151 1,248.0 511
Totals 23 296-197 3.75 30 648 536 4,330.0 1,492
The Reuschel brothers
Name Yrs W-L ERA S G GS IP SO
Rick 19 214-191 3.37 5 557 529 3,548.1 2,015
Paul 5 16-16 4.51 13 198 9 393.0 188
Totals 24 230-207 3.48 18 755 538 3,941.1 2,203
Al Leiter, part of two World Series teams with the 1992-93 Toronto Blue Jays.
The Leiter family
Name Yrs W-L ERA S G GS IP SO
Al 19 162-132 3.80 2 419 382 2,391.0 1974
Mark 11 65-73 4.57 26 335 149 1,184.1 892
Mark Jr. 5 10-22 4.56 7 211 15 304.0 342
Jack 1 0-3 8.83 0 9 6 35.2 31
Totals 36 237-230 4.14 35 974 552 3,915.0 3,239