Texas Rangers test the limits of high-risk/high-reward picking Kumar Rocker

In 2021, the Texas Rangers had a tough time deciding between Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, so what did they opt to do? It appears the answer was to pick both. In a shocking move, the Texas Rangers used the third overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft to select Kumar Rocker, the tenth overall pick just a year prior.

In a move that was filed under, “You don’t see that everyday” the Texas Rangers drafted a guy with major injury concerns a year after he was drafted and left unsigned. The Mets, the team that picked him tenth in the 2021 Draft, didn’t like Kumar’s medicals and decided to let him walk last year.

Kumar rehabbed and reentered the draft this year, and low-and-behold, got drafted in the top-10 for the second year in a row. The move was shocking, to say the least. And it garnered truckloads of criticism both locally and nationally.

The Texas Rangers gambled big when they picked Kumar Rocker with the third pick of the 2022 MLB Draft.

Instead of gambling on the immense potential of Elijah Green, the Texas Rangers gambled even bigger on Rocker, raising the stakes on both ends of the risk-reward model.

For the reasons mentioned above, Rocker is a medical risk. He played well with the Tri-City ValleyCats last season, but questions are abound regarding his health and viability. As a talent, the potential reward is undeniable.

Rocker entered the 2021 season as the crown jewel of the class. But when his velocity dropped during the season, questions arose regarding his health. Just dropping to tenth was a shock given how highly regarded he was just a couple months earlier. He has undeniable “ace” potential.

It stands to reason, if he’s healthy, he’ll be on the fast-track to the big leagues. He’s 22-years old, an accomplished starter at Vanderbilt and Tri-City, who can maintain 94-98 mph. He throws multiple pitches and should be able to skip Single-A altogether.

Last season’s top pick, Jack Leiter, figures to be breaking through in 2023, and Rocker, assuming health checks out, shouldn’t be far behind. But something scared the Mets away in 2021 and it’s hard to forget that when assessing the risk-reward situation here in Arlington.

From Rocker, to agent Scott Boras, to the Texas Rangers, to the New York Mets, everyone is tightlipped. Media can only speculate about the medicals so we’re left guessing and leaving this situation as an extremely high-risk/high reward investment based on what we know and what we can infer.

Here’s to the future!