Kumar Rocker Ready for Another Draft

 Kumar Rocker Ready for Another Draft

Drew Epstein

7/5/22

ValleyCats Pitcher Kumar Rocker prepares for his final Frontier League start. 

On Friday, right-handed pitcher Kumar Rocker made what would be his last Frontier League start with the Tri-City Valleycats in preparation for the 2022 MLB Draft. Rocker, as you may know, was selected by the New York Mets in the 2021 draft out of Vanderbilt with the 10th overall pick, but failed to sign with the team due to health concerns the Mets had without being given his medicals. This season, Rocker made five starts with the Valleycats, giving scouts a chance to watch him a year following his original draft selection. 

Rocker helped prove his worth in the Frontier League in twenty innings, giving up only three earned runs on eleven hits, two of which were home runs. He struck out thirty-two while only walking four. Granted twenty innings is a tiny sample size, but these numbers are outstanding without question. Rocker's last start for the Valleycats was perhaps his most impressive when he went five innings giving up one unearned run on three hits while striking out seven. Scouts told me he was hitting as high as 98 MPH on his fastball during the outing which would play at the Major League level with his great arsenal of breaking pitches. 

The questions surrounding the Vanderbilt product have never been his stuff or his production. It has always, and may always be, will his arm hold up? It was recently revealed that Rocker underwent a “minor scope” in September on his right shoulder as ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel reported on Saturday. This provided a bit more clarity to teams who had, until this announcement, still not received any medical information on the 6'5” right-hander. Scouts had confirmed this during his Friday start before the news of his procedure dropped. It is not clear if they now know anything beyond this procedure, but at the very least, Rocker has proven that he is healthy at least at the moment with his stint in Tri-City. 

Teams in attendance throughout Rocker's five Frontier League starts include; The Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Tigers, Padres, Mariners, Royals, Cubs, Giants, Brewers, Rays, Nationals, Athletics, and Guardians. New York and Philadelphia were among those most frequently in attendance. Some scouts there said that it is unlikely Rocker will fall out of the first round, and it seems likely to me that he will land somewhere in the middle/end of the first. One thing is clear: There is an abundance of interest in drafting the big right-hander, and he looks to prove someone right come the July 17th first round.