Kumar Rocker

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #9 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Rocker’s winding journey to pro ball is well documented. A standout Georgia prep, he raised his profile in three years at Vanderbilt, winning Freshman of the Year in 2019 and tying Commodores co-ace Jack Leiter for the national lead with 179 strikeouts in 2021. Rocker was drafted by the Mets 10th overall in 2021 but went unsigned after medical issues popped up. He pitched in the independent Frontier League in 2022, then was taken by Texas with the No. 3 overall pick and signed to an under-slot deal of $5.2 million. His first pro work came in the Arizona Fall League, where he struck out 18 but walked 12 over 14 innings over six short starts. He looked sharp at High-A Hickory to open 2023 but had Tommy John surgery on May 16.
  
  Scouting Report: Before the injury, Rocker was outstanding. His fastball sat in the mid 90s and his slider was at times a wipeout pitch that got swings and misses both in and out of the zone. He continued to throw his fringy, high-80s changeup, but it was a clear fourth piece of his arsenal. Rocker’s biggest change in pro ball was the addition of a two-seam fastball, added to give him more of a weapon against righthanders. The pitch sat around 95 mph and got swings and misses at a 27% clip, much higher than the 16% induced by his four-seamer. Rocker’s control was much better in the South Atlantic League than in the AFL, but scouts who saw him early would like to see better command. His delivery also showed more repeatability than in the AFL, especially when it came to finding a consistent arm slot.
  
  The Future: There have been no setbacks in Rocker’s rehab, and he should be ready to go at some point during the 2024 season. If he can show the same kind of stuff he did at Hickory, he could fit in the middle of the rotation with the fall back of a nasty late-inning reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #10 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Rocker was Freshman of the Year at Vanderbilt in 2019, when he threw a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts against Duke in super regionals. In 2021, he racked up 173 strikeouts, tying him with Vandy rotation-mate and fellow Rangers prospect Jack Leiter for the most in the nation. The Mets selected Rocker 10th overall that year, but the sides failed to come to terms after a physical turned up something the Mets didn't like. Rocker's only pre-draft action in 2022 came with Tri-City of the MLB Partner Frontier League. The Rangers drafted him with the third overall pick and signed him for $5.2 million, roughly two-thirds of the recommended slot value. Rocker did not pitch during the regular season or instructional league but made six starts in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  Scouting Report: When Rocker got to the AFL, the first thing that jumped out was an arm slot noticeably lower than the one he had used in college and with Tri-City. This allowed Rocker to pitch as comfortably as possible while easing the stress on his pitching shoulder. The delivery itself is upright and rotational, with limited use of his lower half. Scouts in the AFL noticed that he slowed his arm speed on both his slider and changeup. Rocker's fastball in the AFL sat in the mid 90s and showed late darting action. His mid-80s slider, while inconsistent, showed flashes of the wipeout offering that helped make him an elite prospect. Rocker's changeup lags behind his other two offerings, but it does show enough fading action to at least be usable.
  
  The Future: Rocker will enter his first full pro season at 23 years old, which means he will likely be pushed at least to High-A. If he can kick off the rust and find more consistency with his new delivery, he could fit in a rotation. If not, his fastball/slider combination would work out of the bullpen.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 45. Control: 45

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #20 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Tri-City (Frontier) Committed/Drafted: Mets ’21 (1)
  Age At Draft: 22.7
  BA Grade: 60/Extreme
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: - | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 55 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 50
  Despite not throwing a pitch in amateur baseball this spring, Kumar Rocker is likely one of the most famous prospects in the 2022 class. A first-round talent out of high school, Rocker became the highest-ranked player (No. 13) in Baseball America’s college recruiting rankings history to make it to campus at Vanderbilt. While there, Rocker was one of the most dominant pitchers in college baseball over his three-year career, posting a 2.89 ERA over 236.2 innings, with 321 strikeouts (33.2 K%) and 68 walks (7.0 BB%). He was the 2019 Freshman of the Year after helping push the Commodores to a 2019 College World Series championship and after a strong 2021 junior draft season, was selected by the Mets with the 10th overall pick. The two sides never agreed to a deal because of medical concerns voiced by the Mets, which meant the team got a compensation pick (No. 11) in the 2022 draft and Rocker had to wait another year to enter affiliated ball. Instead of returning to Vanderbilt, Rocker signed with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League, and he made his debut on June 4. In terms of stuff, physicality and track record as a college-equivalent starting pitcher, no prospect comes close to Rocker in the 2022 class. When on the mound he’s shown a fastball up to 99 mph at peak, and he showed that same velocity during his Tri-City debut, along with a 70-grade slider that has made a mockery of amateur hitters, as well as a solid changeup and cutter. Rocker’s velocity fluctuated during his junior season with Vanderbilt, which raised some concerns, but it’s an easy plus offering which pairs well with a low-to-mid-80s slider that is a real wipeout offering. While Rocker’s command has been nitpicked at times, he has a strong track record of throwing strikes and profiles as a starter at the next level, with middle-of-the-rotation or better stuff at his best. Ultimately, Rocker’s 2022 draft status could depend on how teams view his medical—as he has nothing left to prove in terms of stuff and performance and is likely the top non-prep arm in the class on talent.
• Ranked #5 prospect in 2021 draft
  Rocker was one of the top high school pitching prospects in the loaded 2018 prep pitching class that included lefthanders Matthew Liberatore and Ryan Weathers and righthanders Ethan Hankins and Carter Stewart, among others. Despite ranking as the No. 13 player in the class and a consensus first-round talent, Rocker made it to campus at Vanderbilt where he was the highest-ranked player in Baseball America’s college recruiting rankings history. He delivered on the hype and became the 2019 Freshman of the Year after posting a 3.25 ERA in 16 starts and 99.2 innings with 114 strikeouts to just 21 walks. Because of Rocker’s pedigree and collegiate track record, he entered the tumultuous 2021 draft cycle as the de facto No. 1 player in the 2021 class and remains in the top tier of players despite a lack of consensus on any standout 1-1 player in this year’s group. Rocker has a large, 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame befitting a workhorse big league starter that leaves no doubt about his professional bloodlines. Rocker’s father, Tracy, played football at Auburn and briefly in the NFL. He has power stuff out of that powerful frame, headlined by a fastball up to 99 mph at his best and a devastating slider in the low-to-mid 80s that grades out as a double-plus offering at its best and is one of the better breaking balls in the 2021 class. Rocker has dealt with inconsistent velocity this spring, sitting in the 89-93 mph range at times before getting back to his usual mid-90s stuff. He’s still succeeded and overwhelmed SEC hitters even without his best velocity, but scouts question how that pitch will play at the next level, especially due to the fact that his fastball has played down at times dating back to high school. Rocker experimented with a cutter in the 88-91 mph range this season and has also thrown a firm changeup with slight fading action. Both offerings could give him something to keep lefthanders off his fastball at the next level, and his changeup in particular has shown upside in the past, but both need more refinement and usage before teams will feel confident projecting plus grades. While some teams think Rocker has reliever risk thanks to inconsistent fastball command at times, his pure stuff, pedigree and track record give him significant upside and he should be one of the first arms selected.
• Ranked #13 prospect in 2018 draft
  Rocker is one of the most well-known prep names in the 2018 high school class thanks to exceptional stuff--headlined by a fastball that routinely reaches 98 mph--and a physically imposing 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame. Despite his big build, Rocker is athletic for his size and has the bloodlines to back it up, as his father, Tracy, played football at Auburn before a brief NFL career with the Washington Redskins. When it comes to pure stuff, there's perhaps no pitcher in the high school class who can match Rocker pitch for pitch. His fastball is regularly in the low to mid-90s and reaches the upper levels when he needs it. The pitch is delivered with such ease that is sometimes looks like he's just playing catch. After that, Rocker has a pair of secondary offerings that have both looked plus, with a power breaking ball--some scouts call it a curve and some dub it a slider--that's hard and tight in the low to mid-80s with late-breaking action. Rocker's changeup is firm and has been up to 91 mph this spring, with fading action that allows the pitch to fall off the table at its best. Just grading out the tools, Rocker should be the top high school player in the class, but he got hit around more than his stuff would indicate last summer, especially when his fastball flattened out and stayed up in the zone. Some evaluators wonder if he just lacks deception and whether adding a two-seam fastball with more movement would help him down the road. The reports from his spring season with North Oconee High in Bogart, Ga., have all been exceptional and while he did deal with a minor hamstring injury that pushed back one of his starts, Rocker has done everything evaluators wanted him to do. Moving forward, the Vanderbilt commit needs to be on top of managing his weight as a bigger-bodied pitcher and he'll need to take steps forward with the command of his entire repertoire once he gets to levels where his stuff alone isn't overwhelming. Overall, Rocker has the elements to be a future front-of-the-rotation arm and should be a first-round pick.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Rocker was Freshman of the Year at Vanderbilt in 2019, when he threw a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts against Duke in super regionals. In 2021, he racked up 173 strikeouts, tying him with Vandy rotation-mate and fellow Rangers prospect Jack Leiter for the most in the nation. The Mets selected Rocker 10th overall that year, but the sides failed to come to terms after a physical turned up something the Mets didn't like. Rocker's only pre-draft action in 2022 came with Tri-City of the MLB Partner Frontier League. The Rangers drafted him with the third overall pick and signed him for $5.2 million, roughly two-thirds of the recommended slot value. Rocker did not pitch during the regular season or instructional league but made six starts in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  Scouting Report: When Rocker got to the AFL, the first thing that jumped out was an arm slot noticeably lower than the one he had used in college and with Tri-City. This allowed Rocker to pitch as comfortably as possible while easing the stress on his pitching shoulder. The delivery itself is upright and rotational, with limited use of his lower half. Scouts in the AFL noticed that he slowed his arm speed on both his slider and changeup. Rocker's fastball in the AFL sat in the mid 90s and showed late darting action. His mid-80s slider, while inconsistent, showed flashes of the wipeout offering that helped make him an elite prospect. Rocker's changeup lags behind his other two offerings, but it does show enough fading action to at least be usable.
  
  The Future: Rocker will enter his first full pro season at 23 years old, which means he will likely be pushed at least to High-A. If he can kick off the rust and find more consistency with his new delivery, he could fit in a rotation. If not, his fastball/slider combination would work out of the bullpen.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 45. Control: 45
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Rocker was Freshman of the Year at Vanderbilt in 2019, when he threw a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts against Duke in super regionals. In 2021, he racked up 173 strikeouts, tying him with Vandy rotation-mate and fellow Rangers prospect Jack Leiter for the most in the nation. The Mets selected Rocker 10th overall that year, but the sides failed to come to terms after a physical turned up something the Mets didn't like. Rocker's only pre-draft action in 2022 came with Tri-City of the MLB Partner Frontier League. The Rangers drafted him with the third overall pick and signed him for $5.2 million, roughly two-thirds of the recommended slot value. Rocker did not pitch during the regular season or instructional league but made six starts in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  Scouting Report: When Rocker got to the AFL, the first thing that jumped out was an arm slot noticeably lower than the one he had used in college and with Tri-City. This allowed Rocker to pitch as comfortably as possible while easing the stress on his pitching shoulder. The delivery itself is upright and rotational, with limited use of his lower half. Scouts in the AFL noticed that he slowed his arm speed on both his slider and changeup. Rocker's fastball in the AFL sat in the mid 90s and showed late darting action. His mid-80s slider, while inconsistent, showed flashes of the wipeout offering that helped make him an elite prospect. Rocker's changeup lags behind his other two offerings, but it does show enough fading action to at least be usable.
  
  The Future: Rocker will enter his first full pro season at 23 years old, which means he will likely be pushed at least to High-A. If he can kick off the rust and find more consistency with his new delivery, he could fit in a rotation. If not, his fastball/slider combination would work out of the bullpen.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 45. Control: 45
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 60/Extreme
  
  August Update: Despite not throwing a pitch in amateur baseball this spring, Rocker is one of the most famous prospects in the 2022 class. A first-round talent out of high school, Rocker became the highest-ranked player (No. 13) in Baseball America&#39s college recruiting rankings history to make it to campus at Vanderbilt. While there, Rocker was one of the most dominant pitchers in college baseball over his three-year career, posting a 2.89 ERA over 236.2 innings, with 321 strikeouts (33.2 K%) and 68 walks (7.0 BB%). He was the 2019 Freshman of the Year after helping push the Commodores to a 2019 College World Series championship and after a strong 2021 junior draft season, was selected by the Mets with the 10th overall pick. The two sides never agreed to a deal because of medical concerns voiced by the Mets, which meant the team got a compensation pick (No. 11) in the 2022 draft and Rocker had to wait another year to enter affiliated ball. Instead of returning to Vanderbilt, Rocker signed with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League, and he made his debut on June 4. In terms of stuff, physicality and track record as a college-equivalent starting pitcher, no prospect comes close to Rocker in the 2022 class. When on the mound he&#39s shown a fastball up to 99 mph at peak, and he showed that same velocity during his Tri-City debut, along with a 70-grade slider that has made a mockery of amateur hitters, as well as a solid changeup and cutter. Rocker&#39s velocity fluctuated during his junior season with Vanderbilt, which raised some concerns, but it&#39s an easy plus offering which pairs well with a low-to-mid-80s slider that is a real wipeout offering. While Rocker&#39s command has been nitpicked at times, he has a strong track record of throwing strikes and profiles as a starter at the next level, with middle-of-the-rotation or better stuff at his best.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 70. Changeup: 55. Cutter: 50. Control: 50.