It was a long time coming, but Texas Rangers’ right-hand pitching prospect Kumar Rocker is finally set to show MLB what his arm is made of. The Rangers announced on Monday that Rocker will get a starting nod for Thursday’s game against the Seattle Mariners.
Rocker will get his debut on the back of a strong run in the minors that saw him appear in 10 games and post a 1.96 ERA during that period. He most recently pitched five innings with Triple-A Round Rock, allowing two runs, one walk, and striking out eight batters.
“He’s been dealt some challenging circumstances with things that were outside of his control,” said Rangers assistant general manager of player development Ross Fenstermaker, referring to a series of injuries that Rocker dealt with in the past four years. “But I think the biggest takeaway with Rock is he’s just so strong-willed and determined to achieve what he wants to achieve. He’s really built to handle adversity in a very high capacity. It’s impressive what he does and how he goes about it. I’m glad he’s a Ranger.”
Following a stellar run with Vanderbilt University, Kumar Rocker was initially drafted with the 10th overall pick by the New York Mets in the 2021 MLB Draft. Despite the two sides being in agreement on a signing bonus, the Mets elected not to make Rocker an offer due to concerns about his medical condition.
After failing to sign with the Mets, Rocker decided to sit out one year and undergo shoulder surgery. After recovering, he pitched 22 innings for Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League one month before the 2022 MLB Draft and posted a 1.35 ERA with 32 strikeouts.
The Rangers ended up drafting Rocker again in 2022, selecting him with the third overall pick. Rocker worked his way to High-A Hickory Crawdads in 2023 but made only six starts before undergoing a Tommy John surgery.
