CHICAGO – Texas Rangers’ most promising pitcher, Kumar Rocker, took his show to a new level on Wednesday.
Both literally and figuratively.
In his debut for Triple-A Round Rock, Rocker dominated the Los Angeles Dodgers’ top affiliate for five innings with a one-hit, shutout. Rocker posted a professional-high 10 strikeouts and did not walk a single batter. The only hit was an infield single that he deflected, similar to a hit he deflected in his Double-A finale last week. Three of his strikeouts came in four at-bats against Dalton Rushing, the Dodgers’ top position player prospect and the No. 39th prospect in the minors according to MLB Pipeline, and shortstop Alex Freeland, the Dodgers’ No. 3 position player prospect and the 78th in baseball. Freeland had the only hit.
The numbers Rocker has put up since moving to Double-A after recovering from elbow surgery are staggering. In six starts totaling 25 2/3 innings, he has allowed just 13 baserunners on 10 hits and three walks while recording 39 strikeouts. He is striking out 44.8 percent of the hitters he faces and holding them to a .119 average.
On Wednesday, Rocker threw 67 pitches, 44 of which were strikes. The biggest surprise: He threw more breaking balls (26) than fastballs (24). There was nothing wrong with the fastball, though. It had an average speed of 98 mph.
The biggest question Rocker still faces is that he has never faced a batter a third time in a game, so he hasn’t really had to deviate from his solid repertoire of four-seam fastballs and the hard breaking ball. He threw 12 sinkers, which he used as a sort of third chance, and five changeups. In those six starts, he has thrown fewer than 20 changeups and has yet to use a cutter because he hasn’t had to.
The Rangers want Rocker to pitch about 50 innings in his first season after surgery. Adding seven innings of rehab work in the Arizona Complex League’s rookie division, Rocker’s workload for the year is now 31 innings.
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