Kumar Rocker endured ‘incredible journey’ to reach MLB

Cody Kluge - BVM Sports Journalist/Editor

Updated: September 13, 2024

ARLINGTON, Texas (BVM) – Kumar Rocker made his highly-anticipated MLB debut with the Texas Rangers on Thursday, becoming the first player of Indian descent to play in the big leagues. After giving up two hits to the first two batters he faced, Rocker settled in as he allowed just one earned run while striking out seven batters across four innings as the Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners, 5-4.

Kumar Rocker was rolling in his first big league start!

He racked up 7 strikeouts in just 4 innings of work 😤 pic.twitter.com/pSz698rzC0

— MLB (@MLB) September 13, 2024

“I still can’t believe it, but it was a good one, I’m glad we got a win out of it,” Rocker said in a postgame interview following his MLB debut. “Got some things to work on, but keep going at it.”

Rocker’s best pitch throughout his debut was an impressive slider that he used on 33 of his 74 pitches, generating 13 swing-and-misses.

“It’s my favorite pitch to throw,” Rocker said. “I’ve had it for a while and I just keep using it, using it until they don’t want to see it anymore.”

Kumar Rocker, White Castle Special. 🤮🍔🍔🍔

In case you were wondering how filthy Rocker's Slider is…here's Exhibit A. 👀 pic.twitter.com/ah4LvOtG3D

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 13, 2024

Rocker, who was called up by the Rangers earlier in the week, proved he has the talent to remain in the big leagues for some time. However, his journey to get to this point has been anything but ordinary.

The 24-year-old right-handed pitcher was born and raised in Georgia by his mother, Lu, and his father, Tracy, a former NFL running back who was a collegiate standout and Outland Trophy winner at Auburn. The 2004 College Football Hall of Fame inductee now serves as a defensive assistant with the Tennessee Titans.

Kumar attended his first MLB game at just four years old, a Rangers game in Arlington, and later became a fan of one of the team’s biggest stars at the time: Josh Hamilton. With a growing passion for the sport and good athletic genes, Kumar developed into a star pitcher at North Oconee High School in Bogart.

The 2017-18 Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year and Under Armour All-American was selected in the 38th round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies but decided to pursue a college career before going pro at Vanderbilt.

Kumar immediately became a star for the Commodores as he was named freshman of the year by both Baseball America and D1Baseball.com and was the 2019 College World Series Most Outstanding Player. He also became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter – a contest where he also had 19 strikeouts – in the super-regional round of the NCAA tournament.

Kumar Rocker makes his official MLB Debut on Thursday with the Texas Rangers.

Flashback to when Rocker was with Vanderbilt and threw a 19 Strikeout No-Hitter against Duke in the NCAA Tournament. Dominance.#StraightUpTX #VandyBoys #CollegeBaseball

pic.twitter.com/Fgmv4PjqjM

— Noah Bieniek (@NoahB77_) September 9, 2024

After his sophomore season was canceled due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, Kumar shined again in 2021 with 14 wins and 179 strikeouts as a unanimous first-team All-American. The continued success led Rocker to be selected 10th overall by the New York Mets later that summer.

However, that’s when Kumar’s journey first hit some adversity. Soon after he was drafted, Kumar agreed to a $6 million signing bonus with New York, but following a physical, the Mets rescinded the offer, eventually landing a compensation pick in return. Kumar had shoulder surgery just a couple of months later and began self-training before pitching for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League during the spring of 2022.

Kumar’s continued success while playing independent league baseball led him to be selected in the MLB draft yet again, this time No. 3 overall to the Rangers in 2022. He officially signed a $5.2 million signing bonus soon after and played in the Arizona Fall League before a spring training invite in 2023.

After eventually being optioned to high-A minor league baseball, Kumar made six starts for the Hickory Crawdads before facing another bout of adversity as he had to undergo Tommy John surgery.

A relatively quick return from the surgery allowed Kumar to return to the minor leagues this past July and he surged through the Rangers’ farm system with sub-2.00 ERAs at both the Class AA and Triple-A levels.

“I found my rhythm, hope to keep my rhythm, and I got to bounce around and meet a lot of cool people,” Kumar said about his journey to the big leagues over the summer. “I worked hard in the offseason and saw the results from it … I can’t ask for much more.”

Kumar’s call-up coincided with star pitcher Jacob DeGrom’s return from Tommy John surgery as well, giving the reigning World Series champs a glimpse of what the future might hold despite a disappointing 2024 campaign.

“I’m very excited, it’s a fun week,” Rangers general manager Chris Young said. “(It’s great) any time you debut one of your top prospects and you get one of the best pitchers in the game back – and really two of the best pitchers in the game.”

In 2025, Kumar could be part of a rotation featuring DeGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and his former Vanderbilt teammate, Jack Leiter, who finds it surreal that he and Kumar have been reunited at the major-league level.

“He’s awesome,” Leiter said to the media after Kumar was called up. “He’s a great guy, he works hard and he’s fun to watch … If you told us we were in this position, 12 months, two years, three years ago, on the same team, in the same clubhouse, I don’t think we would have believed it.”

After a long journey, Kumar finally appears to be in a good spot with a bright future ahead. But first, he will continue to soak in his successful MLB debut, as will his parents who are extremely proud of their son for finally achieving his dream.

Kumar Rocker’s parents are rightfully hyped after he threw up a zero in his first MLB inning pic.twitter.com/TNUewKCvFb

— kennedi landry (@kennlandry) September 13, 2024

“We’re so grateful and thankful,” Lu said while she and Tracy were interviewed during the Rangers’ television broadcast on Sept. 12. “It’s been an incredible journey and he’s just come out, just fighting, putting his head down and working hard … It is a dream come true for all of us.”