Kumar Rocker Debuts In The Desert

SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Rangers have had a knack for shocking the world when it comes to their recent draft picks. In 2020, their choice of Evan Carter left the industry thinking they’d reached for a prep talent who wasn’t expected to go nearly that high, especially in the context of a five-round draft.

Now, he’s their No. 1 prospect and one of the best overall talents in the sport.

Two years later, they took Kumar Rocker, who was a first-round pick of the Mets in 2021 but chose not to sign. Instead, he signed with the Tri-City (N.Y.) ValleyCats of the Frontier League and made five starts. The Rangers saw enough to take him with the third overall pick, and he entered a system with Jack Leiter, his former co-ace at Vanderbilt whom Texas took in the first round of the 2021 draft.

Rocker didn’t pitch during the minor league season but is a part of Texas’ contingent in the Arizona Fall League. On Wednesday, Rocker made his debut.

The big righthander went one shutout inning, showing powerful stuff but scattered command and control. He walked three and struck out one. The strikeout came on Rocker’s signature slider, an 84 mph soul-taker that got Robert Perez Jr. to swing over the top.

In all, Rocker threw 28 pitches but nine for strikes and showed off a delivery with a noticeably lower slot from his college days. His catcher on Wednesday, Cody Freeman, is also a Rangers prospect. It was Freeman’s first time catching Rocker.

“I mean, it was his first pro start—he was really good,” Freeman said. “He was around the zone a little bit but got it back in there— he’s gonna be something special.

Jackson Merrill, SS, Padres: Even after cleaning out their system over and over again in recent years, the Padres have some top-flight talent on their hands. Merrill is making a very early case for the most impressive player in the Fall League. San Diego’s 2021 first-rounder missed a good chunk of this season with injuries but is reinforcing the early buzz that surrounded him in spring training. He’s got a picturesque swing from the left side that he uses to make lots of loud contact while also staying incredibly disciplined at the plate. On Wednesday, that led to a 2-for-3 night with his first triple of the fall.

Luis Matos, OF, Giants: Matos’ 2021 season helped him rocket into the upper echelon not only of San Francisco’s system, but also the entire sport as well. He took a step back this year at High-A Eugene and dealt with injuries as well. After a ringing triple on Opening…