Inside The Rangers

Little Ditty 'Bout Jack and Kumar, Two Texas Rangers Prospects, Doing the Best They Can

Texas Rangers pitching prospects Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, both Vanderbilt alumni, put on powerful displays in the minors Thursday night.

Stefan Stevenson

Texas Rangers
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The Texas Rangers have very high hopes for Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, two highly-drafted starting pitchers from Vanderbilt.

For the first time as members of the Rangers organization, both were on the mound Thursday night and flashing the type of stuff that had scouts drooling.

Leiter, 24, made his 16th minor league appearance with Triple-A Round Rock and was as dominating as never before. He allowed a run on one hit and a walk and recorded all 11 outs via strikeout over 62 pitches, including 41 strikes. Leiter hadn't pitched in nearly two weeks, as the organization pulled him back for some load management. Three spot starts for the Rangers earlier this season did not go well for Leiter but could prove to be warranted from an experience standpoint. The Rangers may want to see how Leiter and Rocer fare as relievers as the 2024 season winds down.

Rocker, who turns 25 in November, made his seventh appearance and fourth with Double-A Frisco on Thursday. He allowed a run on one hit and a walk and struck out five in four innings. It's his third consecutive four-inning outing, as the club wants to ensure he's safely ramping up the appropriate pressure on the surgical site.

Rocker is returning from May 2023 Tommy John surgery. The Rangers selected him No. 3 overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, a year after selecting his former Vanderbilt teammate Leiter No. 2 overall.

Kumar Rocker struck out five in four innings for Double-A Frisco on Thursday.
Feb 21, 2023; Surprise, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) poses for a photo during photo day at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports / Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
Jack Leiter recorded all 11 outs over 3 2/3 innings via strikeout for Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday night.
Feb 20, 2024; Surprise, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter poses for a photo during Media Day at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Rocker has 29 strikeouts and a 2.45 ERA over 22 innings across seven minor league appearances, including six starts. He has an 0.91 WHIP. He threw 52 pitches, including 36 strikes on Thursday.

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Stefan Stevenson
STEFAN STEVENSON

Stefan Stevenson worked as a journalist and editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for 25 years, covering sports, concerts, and general news. His beats have included the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers, and Texas Christian University football.

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