Ad Disclosure
Kumar Rocker fanned 7 Seattle batters in 4 innings of work Thursday night as he made his long-awaited MLB debut on the mound for the Texas Rangers.
The one-time college phenom at Vanderbilt, Rocker gave up 3 hits and 1 earned in a 5-4 series-opening win over the Mariners. The start was a little shaky, but Rocker had a veteran Seattle lineup guessing at times throughout.
“We know about his stuff,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said, per MLB.com. “You look at what he was doing in the Minor Leagues, and that’s why he’s up here. But what stands out is his composure, the poise he showed out there.
“That first inning, trust me, that’s as nervous as you can be, when you make your first Major League start. He didn’t let it get away from him, made pitches. He just looked so focused out there.”
7 K debut day for @KumarRocker. pic.twitter.com/HrXnhC7g0V
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) September 13, 2024
Rocker’s first pitch of the game went for a leadoff single. On the very next pitch, Seattle hit a ground ball to put a second runner on base. With no outs in the first inning, Seattle had 2 runners in scoring position.
But Rocker wasn’t phased. He struck out consecutive batters and then got a quick third out to right field to get out of his first jam in the Majors.
Rocker left the game after 74 pitches. He gave up the first run of his career on a Justin Turner solo shot in the fourth, but watched as his teammates battled back to secure a victory.
A national champion at Vanderbilt, Rocker was a college pitching sensation. He became the first player ever to throw a no-hitter in the Super Regionals, striking out 19 Blue Devil batters in a 3-0 win over Duke. Rocker was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player during Vandy’s title run in 2019 and finished his freshman season with a 12–5 record. He was also named the 2019 Baseball America Freshman of the Year.
Rocker was the 10th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft but went unsigned over medical concerns. The Rangers drafted him third overall in 2022.
He made 6 starts for the High-A Hickory Crawdads, posting a 2-2 record and 3.86 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 28 innings of work. But in May 2023, Rocker’s season came to an end because of Tommy John surgery.
But he battled back. The 24-year-old has posted a 1.96 ERA in 10 games since July 5. In his final 2 rehab starts for Triple-A Round Rock, he had 18 strikeouts over 10 innings.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
