by Seneca Sumners
Now that the trade deadline has passed we see that the Rangers didn’t move many pieces which leads us to believe that they are happy where their team stands for the rest of this season and into next year.
While much of the attention after the deadline has been focused on the players who stayed in Texas, one pitcher who could become an important part of the Rangers’ plans moving forward is Kumar Rocker.
Rocker entered this season looking to prove that he could be more than just a talented young arm with plenty of upside. After showing flashes during his first taste of the major leagues, the Rangers wanted to see if he could take the next step and establish himself as a dependable member of their starting rotation. Over the course of the season, he has done just that while also showing there is still room for growth.
Kumar Rocker Has Shown Flashes for Texas Rangers As He Makes His Name In MLB
Through 108 innings this season, Rocker posted a 4-8 record with a 4.08 ERA and 98 strikeouts. Those numbers may not jump off the page, but they tell the story of a pitcher who has made progress from where he was a year ago. More importantly, he has been able to handle a much larger workload while continuing to show the swing-and-miss stuff that made him one of the most highly regarded pitching prospects in baseball.
The strikeouts have remained one of the biggest positives of Rocker’s season. With nearly a strikeout per inning, his fastball and slider combination has continued to give opposing hitters trouble. When he is commanding those pitches, Rocker has shown that he can work through lineups and give the Rangers quality starts.
Kumar’s biggest challenge has been consistency. A 1.33 WHIP shows that he has allowed his share of baserunners, and there have been outings where walks and hard contact have prevented him from putting together his best performance. These are just the small things that could be improved to show he can be a great MLB pitcher.
Rocker’s season has been what you could expect from a young pitcher. Not really finding a stride but, not too many bad strides either. It’s a great thing to build off of and he has a Hall of Fame caliber player in Jacob Degrom to be learning from.
Kumar Rocker Serves The Community While Finding His Way With Texas Rangers
His next opportunity comes Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles, a matchup that gives Rocker another chance to build momentum as the season moves into its final stretch. Rather than needing to put together a perfect outing, the Rangers will likely be looking for the same things they have wanted to see all season: command, efficiency and the ability to keep his team in the game.
How Rocker finishes this season could be a factor in how the Rangers will approach the offseason. With Jason Degrom and Nathan Eovaldi getting older, the younger guys like Gore, Bradford, and his Vanderbilt teammate Jack Leiter will have to learn from each other and keep improving.
His stuff has never been the question. Rocker still possesses the ability to miss bats and has shown the durability to take on a larger workload this season. The next step will be turning those flashes into consistency. If he can limit walks, reduce the number of baserunners he allows and continue to lean on his strikeout ability, he has the potential to grow into a reliable middle of the rotation starter for Texas.
