ARLINGTON, Texas — Kumar Rocker, a first-round pick in both the 2021 and 2022 drafts, won his first major league game Thursday night.
Rocker struck out a career-high eight in seven innings, and the Texas Rangers defeated the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 to complete a three-game sweep.
Rocker (1-2) threw a career-high 78 pitches and allowed three runs on five hits with no walks. The 25-year-old right-hander was drafted third overall by Texas in 2022, a year after the New York Mets did not sign him as the 10th overall pick due to physical concerns. He made his major league debut in September and finished 0-2 last season.
“It feels great, it felt really good,” Rocker said. “And I’m happy it happened.”
Rocker began the season in the starting rotation, with several Texas starters on the injured list, and was pounded for six runs in three innings against Cincinnati on March 31. In his most recent outing, last Saturday at Seattle, he allowed four runs, three of which were earned, in 3 1/3 innings.
The most noticeable difference Thursday night was overall command — he threw 58 strikes and allowed no walks — as well as command of his slider.
“The biggest thing — we talk about it all the time — is location,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He had really good location tonight.”
Rocker praised catcher Kyle Higashioka for calling a good game. “And I just kept them off balance,” he told them.
Most importantly, he struck out Mike Trout to end the fifth inning with a 4-3 lead, leaving runners on first and second after the Angels scored twice. Rocker threw a 1-2 four-seam fastball to Trout, and first base umpire Lance Barrett called his check swing a strike.
It’s possible that Rocker was pitching to keep his spot in the rotation. Rocker’s former Vanderbilt University teammate, Jack Leiter, is expected to return from the injured list soon after being sidelined by a blister.
“It proves he can do it. “He can do it again,” Bochy stated. “That’s an excellent way to earn your first win, seven innings. He has the potential to be a really good major league pitcher, even a dominant one.”
Rocker now has a statement performance to point to, which also happens to be his first seven-inning outing since his Vanderbilt days.
“As I’m learning and as I’m going week to week, it’s hard to do it at this level,” Rocker shared. “Just keep looking at older guys, watching them do their thing and trying to stay positive and trying to stay calm.”
