Inside The Rangers

Another Impressive Night For Texas Rangers' Vandy Boys Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter

For the second consecutive week, two highly-prized Texas Rangers pitching prospects lit it up in the minors on the same night.
Stefan Stevenson|
Stefan Stevenson/Rangers On SI

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It was another impressive night for two of the Texas Rangers most enticing pitching prospects.

Both are alumni of Vanderbilt. Both were top three MLB Draft picks. Both are 24-years-old. And both are hard-throwing right-handers.

Kumar Rocker, the No. 3 pick in 2022, made his eighth start since returning from May 2023 Tommy John surgery and his fifth for Double-A Frisco. It was another dominant outing for Rocker, who struck out eight and allowed three hits and a walk over 4 2/3 scoreless innings. He threw 70 pitches, including 46 strikes.

In five appearances for Frisco, Rocker has allowed one run on nine hits and three walks and struck out 29 in 19 2/3 innings. Opposing teams are batting .132 against him.

Rocker's next start will likely be with Triple-A Round Rock, where Jack Leiter has been for much of the summer. Leiter, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, made his second start for the Express Wednesday in Salt Lake City, Utah, after taking a two-week break to rest his arm at the beginning of August.

He was every bit as dominating as his former Commodores teammates. He had nine strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, allowing a run on four hits and a walk. The lone run came on a leadoff homer by Jake Marisnick to start the sixth inning after Round Rock had put together a lengthy, seven-run top of the sixth. Former Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun doubled with two outs before Leiter induced what typically would be an inning-ending groundout but there was a throwing error on the play, and Leiter exited after throwing 75 pitches, including 55 strikes.

In Leiter's past two starts for Round Rock after his break, he's allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks and struck out 20 in 9 1/3 innings. Teams are batting .152 against him.

Leiter, who has made three spot starts for the Rangers this season, the last coming on May 14, is 6-4 with a 3.51 ERA and 110 strikeouts over 77 innings in 2024 for Round Rock.

Leiter is likely to rejoin the Rangers roster in September for a couple of more MLB appearances. And if Rocker keeps it up, he could be right behind him.

Kumar Rocker, left, and Jack Leiter were teammates at Vanderbilt and two of the Texas Rangers top pitching prospects.

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Stefan Stevenson
STEFAN STEVENSON

Stefan Stevenson worked as a journalist and editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for 25 years, covering sports, concerts, and general news. His beats have included the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers, and Texas Christian University football.

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