Kumar Rocker's MLB debut: Five things to know about the Rangers right-hander, including unusual path to majors

The twice-drafted former Vanderbilt star is finally making it to the big leagues

By R.J. Anderson Sep 12, 2024 at 2:00 pm ET• 4 min read

Although the Texas Rangers aren't going to become Major League Baseball's first repeat World Series champions in more than two decades, they are providing their fans something to look forward to tonight: the debut of right-hander Kumar Rocker.

Rocker, 24, will get the start against the Seattle Mariners. He received the call to The Show after making 10 minor-league appearances this season, including two most recently at Triple-A. In those two starts, he struck out 18 of the 35 batters he faced and held opponents to two runs on four hits and a walk in 10 innings pitched. In other words, Rocker's time at Triple-A was as dominant as it was brief. 

Kumar Rocker's 10Ks in 5 Innings (in his Triple A debut). pic.twitter.com/F8YHypNt2k

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 29, 2024

To mark the occasion, here are five things to know about Rocker ahead of his debut.

1. Storied career at Vanderbilt

It's no stretch to describe Rocker as one of the most accomplished collegiate pitchers in recent memory. Across 42 appearances at Vanderbilt (39 of them starting assignments), he amassed a 2.89 ERA and a 4.72 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He struck out more than 33% of the batters he faced over that span.