Rangers Prospects Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker Impress in Spring Debuts
Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker didn’t start in the Texas Rangers’ 6-4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday. But both made their first appearances of the spring.
Neither gave up a run. And Leiter, who pitched the top of the sixth in relief, got the win after Brad Miller’s tie-breaking home run in the bottom half of the frame.
The Vanderbilt teammates came out of the bullpen for the first time in the same since, well, ever. Neither could remember a time in which they pitched in the same game, though Leiter said they started a doubleheader once.
Rocker said he hadn’t come out of the bullpen since his freshman year.
Rocker was making his second appearance in Surprise Stadium, with his first coming in the Arizona Fall League last October.
“This felt a little bit more official,” Rocker said.
Rocker was the Rangers’ first-round pick in 2022 and didn’t pitch in the organization last season. He entered the game in the eighth inning.
Rocker gave up a single to the Grant Lavigne to open the frame. He then got Coco Montes to fly out and induced Warming Bernabel into a groundout double play.
Rocker hit 94 mph on the radar gun during the outing.
“I tried to slow things down a bit while I was out there,” Rocker said.
While Rocker was making his spring training debut, Leiter — the Rangers’ 2021 first-round pick — was making his first appearance of 2023 after spending last spring in Rangers camp.
Leiter entered the game in the sixth inning with the contest tied 4-4.
Right off the bat, Leiter hit Sean Bouchard with a pitch. But when Bouchard tried to steal second, catcher Sandy Leon threw him out.
After that, Leiter struck out Nolan Jones and got Ezequiel Tovar to ground out.
Leiter said he’s much more comfortable now than he was at this time last year, when his Major League teammates were rushing through camp after a lockout.
“Being in big league camp last year, obviously with the lockout, the big leaguers just weren’t around, and then it was a whirlwind trying to get to know everyone,” Leiter said. “I feel like I had a really good offseason, really productive, and I feel really good about where everything is at.”
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