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Kumar Rocker, one of the two heralded “Vandy boys” here, is bringing heat and promise to his new organization, the Texas Rangers.
The Mets passed on the uber-talented pitching prospect in 2021, but he says he is past the disappointment.
According to Rocker, “I put it behind me. That’s their business. I have no communication with them. I didn’t have it then. And I don’t have it now.”
Rocker impresses folks with his 97 mph heater, mound presence, and maturity beyond his 23 years at Rangers camp. He said, “My job is to throw a baseball. That’s what I’m going to continue to do.
And I don’t feel like anyone will get in the way as I’m doing what I need to do. It’s unfortunate. But things happen.”
The Mets passed on Rocker as their first-round selection in the 2021 draft, citing arm issues, both shoulder and elbow, instead of signing him after agreeing to a $6 million bonus, well above the $4.74 million slot figure for that spot.
The Mets made no new offer and received a replacement pick the following year, when Rocker became the No. 3-overall pick and signed for $5.2 million with Texas, a team starved for young pitching but quickly on the rise.
Rocker is throwing in the upper 90s in camp and wowing folks, including star Marcus Semien, who said he was most impressed with Rocker’s “mound presence” in a recent throwing session.
The Rangers reinvented their entire staff via free agency and trades, and Rocker will have time.
The team brought in several established starters, including new ace Jacob deGrom, to complete a rotation from the bottom to at least average in a hurry.
A little over a year after shoulder surgery to clean up the joint, Rocker, who once was seen as having the potential to be the No. 1 overall pick, feels great. “Everything’s back to normal,” he said.
“So now it’s all about executing a pitch.”
Rocker, very poised off the mound and on, said he learned the ropes of a pro athlete from his dad, Tracy Rocker, the former college great and NFL defensive lineman and coach.
While he said he will try to be more “mindful” about not pushing himself, he also said he only knows one way. “I grew up with the philosophy you don’t get off the field until you have a bone sticking out,” Rocker said. “That’s how I grew up, and that’s how I’m going to continue to play.”
»Kumar Rocker brings heat and promise to his new organization«
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