Rangers Minor League Club Sets Kumar Rocker Debut

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI
By Matthew Postins | Last updated 4/6/23

Kumar Rocker is set to make his minor-league debut Friday when the High Class-A Hickory Crawdads face Winston-Salem.

Rocker is starting his first full professional season in the Texas Rangers system after being selected in the first round of last July’s Major League Draft. The right-handed pitcher is the the organization's No. 10 prospect, per MLB.com,

The Rangers assigned Rocker to Hickory after Spring Training.

Rocker will pitch in Hickory’s second game of the season. The Crawdads will start Winston Santos in Thursday’s opener and Mitch Bratt — also a Rangers Top 30 prospect — will pitch on Saturday. Bratt, ranked No. 17, pitched for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic.

Rocker’s assignment was a rung below that of his former Vanderbilt teammate and Rangers’ 2021 first-round pick Jack Leiter, who started his minor-league career at Double-A Frisco.

Rocker was the No. 3 overall pick, but didn’t play in the MiLB system after the draft. He did play in the Arizona Fall League and helped the Surprise Saguaros win the AFL title. He was also named an AFL All-Star.

In the AFL, Rocker went 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in six starts, throwing 14 innings and giving up 12 hits with seven runs (all earned). He walked 12 and struck out 18.

Rocker was the New York Mets’ first-round pick in 2021, but he went unsigned after the club was uncertain about his medicals. He later had an arm surgery that was characterized as minor by his agent Scott Boras. That left Rocker to train for any professional opportunity he could get.

He ended up in professional baseball with Tri-City in the Frontier League. He went 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in five starts. He pitched 20 innings, gave up 11 hits, four runs (three earned), two home runs and four walks. He struck out 32 and had a .750 WHIP.

More From SI’s Inside The Rangers: