Analyst Boldly States Star Prospect is 'Clearly In' Texas Rangers Rotation

One of the Texas Rangers players who people are keeping a close eye on throughout spring training is starting pitcher Kumar Rocker.

His path to the Major Leagues has not been a traditional one, as injury woes during his collegiate career led to the windy road.

Selected No. 10 overall by the New York Mets in the 2021 MLB Draft, his medicals scared the team off and no deal was signed. Instead of returning to Vanderbilt, he pitched for an Independent League team in 2022.

It didn’t stop the Rangers from selecting him No. 3 overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, but the injury concerns the Mets flagged were unforunately accurate.

Rocker would undergo shoulder surgery in 2022. He pitched 28 innings in 2023 before having to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Now that his physical issues seem to be squared away, he can focus all of his energy and effort on honing his craft on the mound not rehabbing from injuries.

There is no denying the talent that he possesses, which is part of the reason why Keith Law of The Athletic (subscription required) has placed him at No. 2 on his list of the rookies who will make the biggest impact in 2025.

“Rocker is clearly in Texas’s rotation to start the year, and he might be their No. 3 starter depending on who’s healthy and ready to go after spring training,” Law wrote.

That is certainly a bold statement from The Athletic writer, as many early predictions were that the talented righty would not be in the Opening Day rotation.

Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi are locked into spots. Tyler Mahle, Jon Gray and Cody Bradford were projected to fill out the rotation behind them, with Rocker heading to Triple-A out of the gate.

If Law’s insight is correct and Rocker has a chance to be the No. 3 starter in the rotation on Opening Day, he is going to make an immediate impact for the team.

In his cameo in 2024, Rocker made three starts, throwing 11.2 innings with 14 strikeouts and a 3.86 ERA.

He certainly has the talent to succeed at the Major League level, already possessing two elite pitches with his fastball and slider. His cutter and changeup are also above-average, giving him a nice mix to work with.

The biggest concern with Rocker is how many innings will he be able to provide?

Since 2022, he has thrown 98.2 innings. Would the team even allow him to go much beyond 100 innings in 2025?

It will be something to keep an eye on not only in spring training but throughout the summer.

Texas has championship aspirations and to reach those goals, they need Rocker to perform at a high level. That could mean limiting innings in the early going, ensuring that he will be all systems go down the stretch and for a potentially deep run in October.

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