Well, this is a trend. And a surprise.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Rangers went with a college player with their first selection in the MLB Draft Sunday. They also took a Vanderbilt pitcher for the second straight year.
The Texas Rangers drafted Kumar Rocker, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2021 draft who didn’t sign with the New York Mets, shocking most every draft expert in the country.
Rocker was drafted No. 10 overall last year by the New York Mets. But the sides failed to reach an agreement by the August deadline because the Mets had concerns over the health of his right arm.
Rocker’s agent, Scott Boras, confirmed that 10 months ago Rocker had “non-pitching-related minor surgery” on his right arm.
The Rangers now have the chance to rock the best 1-2 college pitching punch from 2021 one day, assuming they reach an agreement with Rocker, who may be more MLB-ready than Leiter at the moment.
Rangers brass, including president Jon Daniels, spent lots of time scouting Rocker and Leiter in 2021. Daniels and Co. attended a Vanderbilt-Mississippi game in May 2021 and got to see both.
MLB.com’s top two draft experts put Rocker 24th and 39th, respectively.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Rocker emerged from months of training privately when he signed a minor league contract with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the independent Frontier League in mid-May. He notched his first professional victory two weeks ago, allowing two hits and one unearned run in five innings against the Empire State Greys, a travel team that had only two wins in 41 games after the loss.
It was the 22-year-old Rocker’s fifth and final start for the ValleyCats before being deactivated to prepare for this year’s draft. He posted a 1.35 ERA with 32 strikeouts and four walks and gave up 11 hits in 20 innings. His fastball clocked as high as 99 mph and was consistently in that range during his stint with Tri-City to go along with a nasty curveball and slider.
“I think I have a better understanding of pro hitters, just growing up a little bit on the mound,” Rocker said after his final appearance for Tri-City.
