Rangers Prospects Ready to Learn

Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter aren't expected to make an appearance in Arlington this year, but being in Surprise has its benefits.

Some pitchers are in Spring Training with the Texas Rangers to win a Major League job. Others are in Surprise just to get experience.

Kumar Rocker falls into the second category. The first-round pick from last July is one of several pitching prospects who threw their first pitches at Spring Training on Wednesday. It was the first workout for pitchers and catchers.

Rocker threw in a group with several other young prospects, including former Vanderbilt teammate Jack Leiter, the Rangers’ first-round pick in 2021.

The pressure is off these players, thanks to the Rangers’ wealth of veteran starting pitchers in camp. They’re not expected to make the Opening Day roster.

Leiter, Kent, Jacobsen, Rocker pic.twitter.com/sZJkffcSNl

— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) February 15, 2023

But that doesn’t mean the Rangers don’t have expectations for them, according to manager Bruce Bochy.

“Just get the experience of what it looks like in the Major Leagues, even though it's in Spring Training,” Bochy said. “You still have that feel. And, you know, there’s that sense of belonging sometimes. It's not going to happen until you get to experience it a little bit.”

Along with Rocker and Leiter, several other top prospects are on the 70-man Spring Training roster. That includes Owen White, who has cruised through the system in the past two years and finished 2022 in Double-A; Antoine Kelly, acquired last year in the Matt Bush trade; and the likes of Cole Winn, Ricky Vanasco and Marc Church.

Winn is one of the closest to the Majors, having pitched at Triple-A Round Rock last season.

Part of Spring Training is getting to know the prospects. Part of Spring Training is getting valuable experience with Major League pitchers and the coaching staff, led by new pitching coach Mike Maddux.

“Being around our experienced pitchers, you know, that's gonna be invaluable for them,” Bochy said. “You know, what makes them (veterans) good, you know, just picking their brain. Just being with Mike Maddux. They will take with them as they go and play where they're going to play this year. They'll have a better idea on what it takes, or where they're at, as far as pitching here.”

Some of these prospects could be in Arlington in the next year or two. For now, the Rangers have six veteran starters in spring training that they expect to bolster the rotation — Jacob deGrom, Jon Gray, Martín Pérez, Andrew Heaney, Jake Odorizzi and Nathan Eovaldi.

deGrom was the only one of the six that didn’t participate in Wednesday’s workout. The Rangers are holding him out for a day or two due to tightness on his left side.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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