Mets Scouts on Kumar Rocker: “We’re Elated”

The buzz surrounding the Mets’ first-round draft selection this year is real.

Sunday night, Vanderbilt University hurler Kumar Rocker became the latest college pitcher to join the organization. Selected with the No. 10 overall pick, Rocker is considered by many to be the steal of the draft thus far. There was initial talk of him going number-one overall, so for the Mets to get him at pick 10 was something the team was simply not expecting.

Rocker is now a Met, and the scouting department could not be more excited.

“We’re elated that Kumar got to us, ” said Tommy Tanous (Mets VP of Scouting) and Marc Tramuta (Mets Director of Amateur Scouting).

“We thought there was very little chance.”

Regardless, the scouting team was well knowledgeable about Rocker long before his name was called by Commissioner Rob Manfred.

Tramuta and Tanous both watched Rocker this year. Between watching in-person games and catching up via video, Tramuta was able to watch all of Rocker’s starts in 2021.

Other Mets scouts and cross checkers also watched their latest draft selection dominate at Vanderbilt, despite them not expecting Rocker to be available when they were on the clock. Although the Mets jumped at the chance to select him when he still remained on the draft board, they certainly did not reach for the right-hander, either.

“The Mets do not go into any draft focusing on a pitcher or a hitter,” said Tanous.

“We don’t look to draft a certain position.”

Looking at the Mets’ recent first-round draft history, that statement holds true. Rocker is the first time the Mets have drafted a pitcher in the first round since 2017 when David Peterson was chosen 20th overall out of the University of Oregon.

And prior to 2018, when Jarred Kelenic went sixth overall, the Mets did not select a college bat in the first round since 2014 (Michael Conforto, Oregon State).

So now that Kumar Rocker is officially a New York Met, what type of player is joining the organization?

“The Mets are getting a player with the track record of winning,” Rocker said of himself.

In three seasons with Vanderbilt, Rocker went 28-10 with a 2.89 ERA in 236 2/3 innings pitched. He struck out 179 batters, compared to only 39 walks.

In two of his three seasons in Nashville, Rocker’s WHIP sat below 1.00. In 2019, Vanderbilt won the College World Series, with Rocker taking home MVP honors. In the three seasons that Rocker donned the black and gold of Vanderbilt, the team went 116-34.

The numbers don’t tell the entire story, though. Part of what makes Rocker such a dominant pitcher is his composure on the mound. Tramuta said he is a pitcher with “elite makeup”.

With three years of collegiate pitching experience for a powerful SEC program in the books, Rocker has the potential to be the next Mets star pitcher. Yes, that might be a year or two – or perhaps more – away. But the chance to possibly join a staff headlined by Jacob deGrom?

“It’s going to take some time, but that’d be awesome,” he said of pitching on the same team as the two-time National League Cy Young winner.

“I love the colors, too,” he added about the Mets’ orange and blue jerseys.

Whether he’s wearing black and gold or orange and blue, the Mets hope Rocker will continue doing what he does best on the baseball field: throwing heat and winning baseball games.