The Texas Rangers have made a big roster move, calling up number two prospect Kumar Rocker. The pitcher is set to make his debut on Thursday night against the Seattle Mariners. In a corresponding move, pitcher Chase Anderson was designated for assignment, per MLB.com.
Rocker was a star for Vanderbilt from 2018-21, pitching to a 2.89 ERA in 47 games. He was drafted by the Mets tenth overall in 2021 but they did not make him an offer due to injury concerns. Rocker played independent baseball in the Frontier League before the 2022 draft. The Rangers took him third overall and he has starred in the minors ever since.
Rocker has pitched in 16 games for the Rangers minor-league affiliates and has a 2.78 ERA in those games. He looks to grab a spot in the Rangers' rotation for 2025, which will be a stacked rotation. Jacob deGrom is working back from a UCL injury to be their ace and Jon Gray, Nathan Eovaldi, and Jack Flaherty will all command spots.
If Rocker can make a few great starts before the season ends, the Rangers will be more likely to bounce back from a disappointing 2024. After winning their first World Series last year, they are well out of the playoffs with just 16 games to go. When they are officially eliminated, they will be the first defending champions to miss the playoffs since the 2011 Giants, managed by Bruce Bochy, the current Rangers manager.
Rocker family to be in attendance for Rangers vs Mariners
Kumar Rocker's major league debut will be an emotional day for his family. After his career was in the balance following the Mets' decision, he bounced back and worked his way into the major leagues. His dad, Tracy Rocker, is making a significant effort to make it up to Seattle ahead of Thursday's game, according to Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com
“Titans DL coach Tracy Rocker plans to travel to Seattle after today's practice to watch his son, former [Vanderbilt baseball] star Kumar Rocker, make his MLB debut tonight for the Rangers,” Wyatt posted on social media. “Will fly back overnight to be at Friday's practice in Nashville.”
The effort did not go unnoticed by Tracy Rocker's players on the Titans. Check out this video they released, wishing Kumar luck.
Max Scherzer and deGrom will follow Rocker in the Rangers' rotation. Two former Mets following the former Mets draft pick could be a rough watch for their fans. Fortunately for them, they are in the midst of a playoff race and playing their best baseball of the season. It will be hard to poke fun at New York as they try and beat the Braves while the Rangers play out the string.
The Mariners are a great team to have your major league debut against. They have some name-brand players, like Julio Rodriguez and Randy Arozarena, but are a poor offensive team. Seattle has the worst team batting average in the entire league at .219, slightly lower than the White Sox. We will see what Kumar Rocker has to bring in his debut against the Mariners on Thursday night.
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