Express RHP Kumar Rocker Named Rangers Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month for August

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Texas Rangers announced their minor league award winners for the month of August on Friday afternoon. Round Rock Express RHP Kumar Rocker was named the organization’s Starting Pitcher of the Month.

In five starts between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock last month, Rocker posted a 0.54 ERA (1 ER/16.2 IP) with only three walks and 25 strikeouts. He recorded the third-lowest ERA among all minor league pitchers (min. 20.0 IP) and limited opposing batters to a .122/.156/.176/.332 (9-74) slash line in August.

He made his Major League debut against the Seattle Mariners last night at T-Mobile Park and allowed only one run in 4.0 innings with seven strikeouts. His 17 whiffs in last night’s game were the most by a Rangers pitcher in their Major League debut since pitch tracking began in 2008. It was also tied with the most by a Rangers pitcher this year (RHP Max Scherzer, July 30 at St. Louis).

Rocker was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for August 26-September 1 after his first Triple-A start. He made his Triple-A debut on August 28 against the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate) at Dell Diamond and faced Dodgers rehabber RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Rocker went 5.0 innings of scoreless baseball and struck out 10 while allowing only one hit. He worked through the Oklahoma City lineup on 67 pitches.

In his second start against the Las Vegas Aviators (Oakland Athletics affiliate) on September 6 at Las Vegas Ballpark, Rocker went 5.0 innings with two earned runs on three hits, one walk and eight strikeouts in a no-decision.

The former third overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers was drafted out of Vanderbilt University. He was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2019 College World Series for Vanderbilt. In 2021, he was a unanimous First Team All-American in his junior season where he became just the second player since 1988 to lead the nation in both strikeouts and wins in the same season.

Rocker began his professional career with High-A Hickory last year, but after six starts, underwent Tommy John surgery. He returned this season on July 5 and made three starts in the Arizona Complex League before

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