Texas Rangers Star Prospect Facing Incredible Hurdles To Realize Potential

One potential strength of the Texas Rangers as they prepare for the 2025 season is their starting rotation.

They are going to need some better injury luck for this group to realize their immense potential, but as things stand right now, all of their key contributors are healthy.

Returning to anchor the staff is Jacob deGrom, who has made only nine starts since joining the team as a free agent but remains dominant when on the mound. Nathan Eovaldi, who re-signed this winter, will be the No. 2.

They are both locks for Opening Day, barring unforeseen circumstances.

Veteran Tyler Mahle, returning from injury after making only three starts in 2024, will be in the mix for a role behind them with Jon Gray and Cody Bradford.

That has the makings of a strong rotation, but the player with arguably the most upside who may not have a spot on the Opening Day roster is star prospect Kumar Rocker.

The No. 3 pick in the 2022 MLB Draft has had quite the roller coaster ride to becoming a pro, as he was selected No. 10 by the New York Mets in 2021 but was not signed because of issues with his medicals.

The Mets were not comfortable with some of the things found in his physical. Their concerns were proven correct, as Rocker underwent shoulder surgery in 2022, opting not to return to the Vanderbilt Commodores and pitching in the independent league before the Rangers selected him.

After throwing 28 innings in 2023, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery.

He was able to work his way back and make his Major League debut in September 2024, making three appearances and throwing 11.2 innings. His production was solid, as he had a 3.86 ERA with 14 strikeouts, providing a preview of what could come in the future.

At this point, it is anyone’s guess what that future could look like. His potential is off the charts, but a prospect overcoming these kind of obstacles so early in their career and reaching that level is unprecedented, as Kiley McDaniel of ESPN wrote recently in a Top 100 prospects piece in which ranked Rocker at No. 35.

“But there aren't many examples of pitchers losing some measure of stuff, health and overall effectiveness and regaining it, especially this dramatically.

"Between those past shoulder and elbow surgeries, no outings longer than five innings last season and fewer 50 innings thrown total in his pro career, there is still reason to be hesitant about the idea of Rocker immediately becoming a front-line starter."

It is certainly too early to write Rocker off, especially when taking into consideration the tools that he is working with.

Already possessing two plus-plus pitches with his fastball and slider, his four-pitch arsenal is rounded out by two more above-average pitches; his cutter and changeup.

Combine that with the excellent command he has with all four pitches and it is a recipe for success with legitimate ace potential.

However, the concerns about him ever being able to handle such a workload are legitimate. He has had some major operations already and it will take some time for him to build things back up to handle an ace’s workload.

The potential is sky-high but Rocker is as big of a boom-or-bust product prospect. There will be some variance in his production, but if he can stay healthy, he will be among the best in the game for years to come.

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