The Texas Rangers selected pitcher Jack Leiter from Vanderbilt in the 2021 MLB Draft.
They also picked Kumar Rocker, Leiter’s former teammate at Vanderbilt, with the third pick in the 2022 MLB Draft in a somewhat surprising move.
That way, the Rangers are setting up a potential reunion within the next few seasons, and fans couldn’t be more excited about it.
Rocker was picked by the New York Mets early in the first round of the 2021 Draft, but they didn’t sign him because of concerns with his right elbow.
Rocker then decided to re-enter the draft this year, and even signed with an Independent league team in preparation for the draft in May.
A Reunion In The Works
A tweet showing a video of two kids meeting and hugging was used as a way to portray Rocker and Leiter’s reunion, and the latter even shared a few laughs with it.
😂😂 see you soon @KumarRocker https://t.co/BYAkqf5obp
— jack leiter (@jackleiter22) July 18, 2022
The two aces led the Vanderbilt Commodores to the 2021 College World Series, where they lost to Mississippi State.
Despite the end result, they both impressed that year.
Both are now viewed as top prospects: Leiter is a strong bet to be a star at the next level, and while Rocker has some lingering injury issues tied with his shoulder and elbow, he is very talented in his own right.
The Rangers have really shored up their lineup in the past offseason and are a very competent team, with a 41-49 record so far.
If Leiter and Rocker develop correctly – given their college experience, they should be able to rise through the system relatively quickly – the Rangers could have two aces within the next two or three years.
That’s not too shabby.
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