Vanderbilt pitchers Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter are the top two prospects in the 2021 MLB Draft, according to Jim Callis Rules; ... Kumar Rocker General Info Draft History Player Ranking User ... My Mock Draft … Seven major league pitchers in 2019 were drafted out of Vanderbilt in the first round, headlined by former top overall pick David Price (2007). The Vols pounced on him for seven runs, six earned, in 3 ⅔ innings. Rocker is humble, and Corbin knows how to handle talented young pitchers. Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about. Vanderbilt was robbed of the chance to defend its national championship earlier this year. The Detroit Tigers were so bad in 2019 that a combination of the standings puts them at a .322 winning percentage. “[Losing the 2020 season] was tough for everybody,” Rocker said. Teammates hug Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) after his no-hitter against Duke in the NCAA Division I Baseball Super Regionals at Hawkins Field Saturday, June 8, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) stretches during practice at Creighton University on Saturday, June 15, 2019, in Omaha, Neb., a day before their first game against Louisville in the College World Series. When Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello is asked why he didn’t try to recruit Kumar Rocker to play for the Vols, Vitello has an easy answer: He wasn’t UT’s coach when Rocker committed to Vanderbilt. “In my gut, I just needed my mom to be happy with my decision,” said Rocker, rated the No. His parents met when his mother was a student at the University of Maryland and his father was playing for the Washington Football Team. Vanderbilt's Kumar Rocker (80) runs a drill during practice at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Jan. 25, 2019. #RoadToOmaha | #VandyBoys pic.twitter.com/14zJjonna6. Rocker is just the latest to carry ultra-high expectations and the label of the next great pitcher for the Commodores. That’s not a huge surprise considering the Commodores rank No. When Vanderbilt ace Kumar Rocker threw a 19-strikeout no-hitter against Duke in the super regional on June 8, 2019, the clock started ticking toward the point he could be selected in the MLB daft. [4][5] He was considered one of the top prospects for the 2018 Major League Baseball draft,[6][7] but was not selected until the 38th round by the Colorado Rockies,[8] falling due to signability concerns. Christian Brothers RHP Christian Little and Irving (Texas) Jesuit College Prep shortstop Jordan Lawlar are. No, he isn’t a size/arm freak, but he is a legitimate first round talent on the mound who may have told MLB teams to call him in three years. “And I thought, ‘Wow, mom, that’s a big promise.’ But I’m here now. Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) pitches in the bottom of the first against Michigan in the 2019 NCAA Men's College World Series Finals at TD Ameritrade Park Tuesday, June 25, 2019, in Omaha, Neb. And from outside of that, I took a summer class and then really just hung out with my family. We've got analysis of all the first-round picks and more. [1] During the Summer 2017, he played in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game and Perfect Game All-American Classic. 19 years old, 19 strikeouts in a season-saving no-hitter. But Rocker made the choice several others do, heading to Vanderbilt, a veritable major league pitching factory over the last decade. 23. Nineteen years old, 19 strikeouts. That’s not a huge surprise considering the Commodores rank No. Photos: Vanderbilt's Kumar Rocker makes history with no-hitter. Rocker, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound right-hander whose fastball touches 98 mph, will be on a loaded pitching staff when Vanderbilt plays in the elite MLB Collegiate Tournament in Talking Stick, Arizona, this weekend. Teammates congratulate Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) after he threw a no-hitter against Duke in the NCAA Division I Baseball Super Regionals at Hawkins Field Saturday, June 8, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Vanderbilt Kumar Rocker (80) celebrates his no-hitter, beating Duke 3-0 in the NCAA Division I Baseball Super Regionals at Hawkins Field Saturday, June 8, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) celebrates his no-hitter with his teammates, beating Duke 3-0, in the NCAA Division I Baseball Super Regionals at Hawkins Field Saturday, June 8, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Vanderbilt catcher Philip Clarke (5) congratulates pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) as he closes in on a no-hitter after the eighth inning against Duke during the NCAA Division I Baseball Super Regionals at Hawkins Field Saturday, June 8, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) celebrates a Duke strikeout to end the fifth inning during the NCAA Division I Baseball Super Regionals at Hawkins Field Saturday, June 8, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Vanderbilt pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) walks back to the dugout at the end of the sixth inning during the game against Mississippi State in the 2019 NCAA Men's College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park Wednesday, June 19, 2019, in Omaha, Neb. New, 54 comments. Vanderbilt's Kumar Rocker (80) tips his hat to the crowd during the NCAA Division I Baseball Super Regionals at Hawkins Field on Saturday, June 8, 2019, in Nashville. Rocker was projected as a first-round pick in last summer’s major league draft, where signing bonuses were slotted between $2.3 million and $8.1 million per player. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft. So, it's a limited number of people in the weight room, on the field, et cetera. “I remember my mom saying (to Corbin), ‘Oh, he’s coming, he’s coming, he’s coming. He recorded 19 strikeouts as Vanderbilt beat Duke 3–0. [11], His father, Tracy Rocker, played in the National Football League (NFL),[12] is a College Football Hall of Famer[13] and is the defensive line coach at South Carolina. If MLB goes with a combination of standings from 2019 and 2020, the Pirates wouldn’t have a chance at Rocker. Kumar’s dad, Tracy, was a College Football Hall of Famer as an Auburn defensive lineman, and he’s now the Tennessee Vols defensive line coach.