CHICAGO -- The individual saves leader for the 2025 White Sox didn’t exactly challenge Bobby Thigpen’s franchise record of 57 set in 1990, although last year’s group never really had a set ninth-inning closer.
Yet, the seven saves recorded by Jordan Leasure, who finished No. 1 for the South Siders, provided valuable late-game experience for the right-hander if given greater 2026 responsibilities for this role.
“Obviously, there’s still a lot of work for me to do to be able to solidify myself as a big league closer,” Leasure told MLB.com during a recent interview. “I think just in terms of a guy who can be trusted in the seventh, eighth or ninth, I’ve definitely pushed the needle.”
Leasure, 27, became a positive development for a team improving by 19 wins from the dismal, record-breaking 121-loss campaign of ’24, finishing with a 3.92 ERA in 68 games, and striking out 81 over 64 1/3 innings. The 30 walks and 12 home runs yielded are areas of improvement to focus upon, but Leasure posted a 3.26 ERA after the All-Star break with all four runs allowed in 12 September appearances coming against the Nationals on Sept. 26.
“That will happen,” said Leasure of the rough appearance in Washington. “I’m feeling a lot more confident, feeling I can trust everything I’m throwing a lot more.
“I felt really good ending the season. It’s kind of the good energy to have starting the offseason with all the training to just keep going.”
Offseason work already has begun for Leasure, who is in his third week of playing catch. He’ll be working off the mound in mid-December to get a month of throwing bullpens before seeing a hitter. Leasure also wants to get two or three live at-bat sessions before going to Spring Training in early February.
He throws at the University of Tampa, where he recently tossed a first pitch prior to his alma mater’s contest against South Florida. Leasure also trains with Nicole Gabriel at Nicole Gabriel Training, where he worked out last offseason with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Teoscar Hernández, who just competed on opposite sides in one of the most entertaining World Series in recent memory.
“It was cool to just sit and listen to them talk about hitting. None of it applied to me, but it’s fun to pick up on stuff like that, especially from guys I’ll be playing against,” said Leasure. “The main thing I picked up from [Guerrero] is he kind of has gone into his career knowing nothing was going to be given to him.
“He has worked really, really hard to be where he’s at. Who his dad is could have helped him a lot, but he’s earned everything on his own. So, that’s really cool.”
When asked for the worst moment of his breakout ’25 campaign, Leasure pointed to an outing on April 6 in Detroit where he entered in the ninth with the bases loaded and one out to protect a 3-1 lead, only to walk Andy Ibáñez to force in a run and give up Spencer Torkelson’s walk-off double. But Leasure made amends later in the season, striking out Torkelson with two outs in the ninth to preserve a 9-6 victory at home on Aug. 12.
Big-picture individual learning experiences also applied for Leasure, who posted a 6.32 ERA over 33 games during his ’24 rookie campaign, which ended on July 14 due to a right shoulder impingement. Leasure’s outlook is completely different going into ’26, knowing he could be more in demand for late-inning leverage situations with Grant Taylor moving into multi-inning relief work, per general manager Chris Getz’s comments to reporters at the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas.
“You can be super confident, but if you don’t execute it doesn’t matter, especially at this level. Just being more efficient and executing, I was able to build that confidence,” Leasure said. “When you have both those things -- being able to execute and trusting your stuff -- that’s a pretty good combination.
“They could go out and get someone, and obviously I would love for them to do that. Maybe not this offseason, but maybe next year, bring some dominant reliever in. That would be awesome for us, for me and some of the other guys in the pen to learn from him and get better from that person.
“For now, I would love for that person to be me, as well. That’s what I’m working toward.”