Kumar Rocker | RHP

Background
The 18-year-old Rocker is the son of former Redskins defensive lineman Tracy Rocker, and he attends North Oconee High School outside Athens, Georgia. He plays both baseball and football, and is committed to Vanderbilt.

Scouting Report
At 6-foot-5 and 250 lbs., Rocker is built very much like the son of a former defensive lineman. He’s a monster on the mound, and his fastball sits 93-95 mph and has touched 98 mph. His hard mid-80s slider is a wipeout pitch and one of the best breaking balls in the draft class. Both the fastball and slider have posted high spin rates in summer showcase events at big league parks. Rocker doesn’t have much of a changeup, which isn’t unusual for a top high school pitcher. His delivery has some effort but he’s athletic and generally locates well.

Miscellany
The various scouting publications all rank Kumar as a top half of the first round prospect in their latest rankings. Keith Law (subs. req’d) ranks him as the 12th best prospect in the draft class, Baseball America ranks him 13th, and MLB.com ranks him 14th. The Yankees hold the 23rd overall pick. Rocker has been connected to the Yankees in a few mock drafts this spring, though it seemed more like speculation than legitimate interest. Either way, Rocker is one of the top prep pitchers in the draft, and he’s a physically huge power pitcher, and the Yankees love those guys.