The 2022 MLB Draft is underway, and a lot has happened. History was made with the first two selections of the draft. And the Texas Rangers pulled off a shocker with the third overall selection.
The Rangers picked former Vanderbilt ace Kumar Rocker at third overall. Many had him going a bit lower than that, potentially outside of the top 10.
Rocker was drafted in the 2021 MLB Draft. He went 10th overall to the New York Mets but didn't sign because of issues with his medicals.
He fell to the Mets last year after his velocity dipped in the second half of the Vanderbilt season. After not signing with New York, the Rangers draft pick went to pitch in the independent leagues.
Rocker will reunite with a Vanderbilt teammate should he sign in Texas. The Rangers selected Jack Leiter in last year's MLB Draft with the second overall pick. And it seems as if that reunion is something that excites him.
“That's the boy right there,” he told MLB Network when asked about Leiter. “I'm excited to see Jackie soon.”
His pick was surprising to many, but one superstar athlete sent respectful congratulations Rocker's way. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes took to Twitter and gave his reaction to the Rangers draft pick.
So awesome to watch man! Glad this dude kept grinding and ended up top 10 again! 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽,” Mahomes tweeted.
Mahomes is no stranger to the MLB Draft. He played baseball in high school and was a top prospect in the 2014 MLB Draft. Signability concerns saw him slip in the draft. The Detroit Tigers picked him in the 37th round, but he went to Texas Tech for football.
Mahomes made the right choice. He became a superstar in the NFL, winning an NFL MVP as well as a Super Bowl and a Super Bowl MVP.