Remember Kumar Rocker?
Of course you do: he dominated college hitting with Vanderbilt from 2019 to 2021 and was picked tenth overall by the New York Mets in last year’s MLB Draft.
He had an amazing college career, with a 28-10 record in three seasons, a 2.89 ERA and 321 in 236.2 innings.
He did not sign with the Mets, though, because the team didn’t trust the results of an MRI performed on his arm, and ultimately failed to come to an agreement with the hulking right-hander.
Now, we have some news to share about Rocker.
His agent had already stated he would re-enter the MLB Draft in 2022, and now he has signed with a Independent League team in preparation for the event.
“Kumar Rocker will pitch for the Tri-City Valleycats (Troy, NY) in advance of the MLB draft. The 2021 Mets first round draftee out of Vandy went unsigned after the team had questions about his MRI,” MLB insider Jon Heyman tweeted.
Kumar Rocker will pitch for the Tri-City Valleycats (Troy, NY) in advance of the MLB draft. The 2021 Mets first round draftee out of Vandy went unsigned after the team had questions about his MRI.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 13, 2022
He Should Be An Early-Round Selection
The fireballer could have opted to return to Vanderbilt for a fourth (and last) season, but chose to work out on his own.
He should once again profile as a first-rounder, given his considerable raw talent, stuff, and mound presence.
However, he may not be a top-ten selection like last year, especially without having pitched competitive baseball in the last season.
Rocker is 22, which is a bit on the old side for a pitching prospect, although his college pedigree should, in theory, help him go through the minors relatively faster than the average draftee.
The team that drafts him, however, may be getting itself into a risky situation given his long-term health-related questions.
However, it’s also true that he boasts monstrous upside.
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