MLB news: Chipper Jones mentors, Yankees fans panic, Rangers young aces
By Mark Powell
MLB news: Texas Rangers young aces shine
Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker — former Vanderbilt teammates — made their Cactus League debuts out of the bullpen for the Texas Rangers in a 6-4 win over the Rockies. For Texas, it represented the first glimpse of what’s to come.
“I don’t think we ever pitched in the same game, so obviously that’s cool,” said Leiter. “It’s great to have him here, a familiar face. It’s been special and I’m looking forward to where it goes in the future.”
Texas signed Jacob deGrom this offseason just one winter after inking Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. They also added Nathan Eovalid to a crowded rotation. Because of this, there is no rush to call up either Leiter or Rocker, but of whom have ‘ace’ written all over them.
It was Rocker’s first real outing against MLB hitters since he was selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
“It was a second time kind of being in that stadium and environment,” Rocker said. “It felt a little bit more official that way and I felt a little more comfortable. I definitely felt better throwing the ball out there.”
Texas’s system is stacked, so Rocker is actually just their No. 8 prospect. He and Leiter have much more to give.
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