Kumar Rocker

The only Indian baseball player most MLB fans actually know is Rinku Singh, the winner of the Million Dollar Arm competition featured in the movie “Million Dollar Arm”. That may soon change, as the MLB’s number one prospect for the 2021 MLB Draft is Indian-American pitcher from Vanderbilt, Kumar Rocker. Rocker was drafted in the 38th round in 2018, but that was due to his commitment to go to Vanderbilt, rather than ability. He was ranked 23rd on MLB Pipeline Top 200 as a Georgia highschooler. The son of former NFL player Tracey Rocker, Kumar is 6’5 250 pound monster pitcher, which is presumably where that build comes from.

Rocker emerged on a national stage when he threw a complete game no-hitter in his freshman year against Duke in the NCAA Super Regional Tournament with 19 strikeouts. Rocker is an outstanding pitcher, off to an incredible start his junior year with a 0.58 ERA in 31 innings, and as a freshman, he pitched 99.2 innings of 3.25 ERA baseball per College Baseball Reference. When asked about Rocker’s ceiling, Vanderbilt Head Coach Tim Corbin said, “In a lot of ways, seeing [Bob] Gibson pitch as a kid, there’s a complete similarity between Kumar and Bob” (MLB.com) While it’s clear that obviously we shouldn’t compare the two, as Bob Gibson is one of the best pitchers of all time, this high praise from his coach proves the sky’s the limit for Rocker.

What makes Rocker so elite is the combination of his massive stature and the amount of power he can get on his fastball. His slider when used as a finisher has also proved outstanding, as all 19 strikeouts Rocker accumulated came off the back of his nasty slider. He normally hits 93-96 on his fastball with his heater at 99 mph, which as a 21-year old is absolutely incredible. His slider hits in the mid 80s which combined with the movement, is a virtually unhittable pitch for opposing college hitters.

Rocker is undoubtedly incredible, but his competition for the #1 pick in the 2021 MLB Draft will most likely be from his own Vanderbilt teammate Jack Leiter, son of former pitcher Al Leiter. Rocker is a raw prospect, but in a good farm system with enough development should hit the big leagues and tear them up. Compared to other number one picks like Bryce Harper or Steven Strausburg, he isn’t the clear-cut guy of his draft class and guaranteed to go number one. However, due to his athletic frame and incredible desire to win games, the sky's the limit for this Rocker. His story is inspiring and his success would be a huge plus for aspiring Indian-American baseball players all around the country, as they will be able to find a true role model to emulate.