Former Vanderbilt star right-hander and top Mets draft pick Kumar Rocker returned to the mound Saturday night.
TROY, N.Y. — Former Vanderbilt star right-hander and top Mets draft pick Kumar Rocker returned to the mound Saturday night with the Class A Tri-City ValleyCats of the independent Frontier League, and his first experience as a pro ended after four innings of work.
But Rocker ran into trouble in the fourth, hitting the leadoff batter and tossing a wild pitch that prompted Tri-City manager Pete Incaviglia to make a brief visit to the mound with cleanup hitter Carlos Martinez at the plate. Rocker stayed in and allowed a two-run homer to left field to Martinez on the eighth pitch of a long at-bat for a 2-0 lead.
Former Vanderbilt star right-hander Kumar Rocker walks in from the bullpen at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy, N.Y.Three years ago, Rocker led Vanderbilt to a College World Series title as a freshman and as a junior was drafted No. 10 overall last year by the New York Mets. He then walked away from the Mets when the two sides failed to reach an agreement by the August deadline because of concerns over the health of Rocker’s right arm. He was the only first-rounder not to sign.
At Vanderbilt, Rocker was a three-year standout and posted a 2.89 ERA in 42 games , leading the Commodores to a national championship in 2019. He was named MVP of the College World Series, racking up 44 strikeouts in 28 postseason innings, including a 19-strikeout no-hitter in the NCAA Super Regional against Duke. His ERA was a microscopic 0.96 in four postseason starts.
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