Could the Philadelphia Phillies Eye Kumar Rocker in the MLB Draft?

The Philadelphia Phillies have had a very strong last two drafts. Their selections of both Mick Abel and Andrew Painter have proven major boons to the farm system, and well-executed draft plans have allowed the team to find premier talent in the later rounds, as they did with Griff McGarry in the fifth round of 2021.

The team will look to add 2022's draft to their growing list of successes, but have many directions they could choose this time around.

The 2022 draft class is a deep one, but there is a relatively steep dropoff of talent past the 'Top 8.' That said, the 'solid talent' bracket looks to extend all the way into the second round, which will make for some fascinating draft plans.

The Phillies are not exactly in a strong position draft capital-wise. They have the third smallest bonus pool, and are without a second round pick this year. Thus, they'll need to get creative with how and where they allot their bonuses.

One way they may choose to do that is by selecting Kumar Rocker, who has been mocked to the Phillies multiple times by significant outlets this draft season. While mocks are rarely if ever dead-accurate, they do provide a solid overview of what a team may plan to do in their given position.

When Rocker and the New York Mets couldn't come to an agreement after he was drafted tenth overall in 2021, questions spiraled about the promising righty's medicals. As it tuns out, Rocker did receive what was deemed a "minor scope" on his pitching shoulder in September, but is back and fully healthy, as was showcased in his independent league stint with the Tri-City ValleyCats.

The fact of the matter is, Rocker is a workhorse. In his final year at Vanderbilt, he threw a whopping 122 innings, while striking out 179 batters. There is no doubt he has the stuff of a first-rounder, and he proved as such, touching as high as 98 in his independent league stint.

NO-HITTER.
19 STRIKEOUTS.

VANDERBILT’S KUMAR ROCKER JUST MADE HISTORY! pic.twitter.com/Q05eYikbbR
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) June 9, 2019

Rocker's draft stock is difficult to assess. Some boards have him as a consensus first rounder, others have him falling to the second, and even third rounds. The question with Rocker is not if he goes, but when he goes this year. Should he not find a deal to his liking, might he look to sign with a team overseas? That would be up to he and super-agent Scott Boras to decide.

So, why should the Phillies consider drafting a 22-year-old with tons of arm mileage and a great deal of risk? Simply put, they lack MLB-ready starting depth, and Rocker is precisely that.

Were he drafted by the Phillies, the team would probably start Rocker in High-A, or perhaps even Double-A, and would almost surely fast-track him to the majors, similar to what the Chicago White Sox did with 2020 first rounder Garrett Crochet. There, Rocker would either slot into the bullpen, or perhaps even serve as a starting option should some of the Phillies' rotation injuries worsen.

The long-term implications of this pick would be substantial. Rocker would factor into the Phillies' rotation decisions next year, meaning the team would have just one starting pitching hole to fill in the offseason, with both Zach Eflin and Kyle Gibson heading to free agency.

The Phillies would project to enter 2023 with a rotation including the likes of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez, and Rocker. Combine that with names like Griff McGarry, Mick Abel, and Andrew Painter barreling down the pipeline, and Bailey Falter, Cristopher Sánchez, and others to cushion any unexpected blows: that's some substantial pitching depth.

While it is unlikely given Scott Boras' nature, it remains possible that the Phillies may be able to convince Rocker to sign under slot value because of how deeply his stock has dipped. If they can do that, the team has a strong chance to bring home a second big talent with their third round pick, based on those that might have fallen.

This is, of course, all hypothetical. It's hard to predict what any team's draft plan is, especially when it comes to the Phillies, who are air tight in their operation. Still, no Phillies fan would be disappointed were Rocker to walk away in red pinstripes on July 17.

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