Kumar Rocker showed the type of nasty stuff that has made him one of baseball's most alluring pitching prospects in his Major League Baseball debut. The Texas Rangers rookie pitched four innings of one-run ball and struck out seven Seattle Mariners while routinely missing bats. It's been a long and difficult road for the 25-year-old but his arsenal suggests he may still have a bright future.
Kumar Rocker, 85mph Slider and 97mph Fastball, Overlay. pic.twitter.com/8pJPBjtLPe
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 13, 2024
Rocker racked up a sky-high 17 whiffs, the most for a Rangers pitcher making his debut since 2008 and the most over a four-inning span since Max Scherzer, per MLB.
Kumar Rocker was rolling in his first big league start!
— MLB (@MLB) September 13, 2024
He racked up 7 strikeouts in just 4 innings of work 😤 pic.twitter.com/pSz698rzC0
“I feel like the whole game I was trying to find my rhythm, and that’s just, that’s part of the moment, that’s part of it being a new experience,” Rocker said postgame. “And can’t really get frustrated from it, but learn from it.”
Rocker was a standout at Vanderbilt and the New York Mets' first-round pick in 2021. Injury concerns kept him from being signed. The Rangers drafted him in 2022 but he needed Tommy John surgery a year later. He had put together a 1.96 ERA in the minor leagues this season before getting the call-up.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kumar Rocker Was Electric in His Long-Awaited Major League Debut.
