Kumar Rocker finishes first season as full-time Rangers starter with sweet revenge against Mets

Texas Rangers pitching has been an adventure of late, and it's come at the worst possible time. The division chase is in its final days, and the Rangers desperately need to stand out. Taking the mound and trying to salvage a game after two poor losses to the New York Mets, was the pitching rollercoaster personified, Kumar Rocker.

Rocker and the Mets have history. New York originally selected Rocker with the 10th overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft, and while the two sides had an agreement for a $6 million signing bonus in place, the Mets ultimately backed out due to concerns over the big righty's elbow.

Rocker returned to Vanderbilt for the 2022 season and was drafted third overall by the Rangers that year. It's been a winding journey for him to get to this point, but he showed the Mets on Thursday exactly what they missed out on.

The 26-year-old threw five innings of one-run ball, surrendering just three hits and two walks. You would have loved to get a bit more length out of him, but he handed his bullpen a 2-1 lead that they protected while Texas tacked on an insurance run in the sixth.

When asked after the game how it felt to beat the team that snubbed him after all these years, Rocker couldn't help but admit that it felt good. It was a game that the Rangers desperately needed to win, especially after the Houston Astros defeated the Athletics later in the day to keep pace.

Texas is on the outside looking in of the playoff chase right now due to Houston holding the tiebreaker, and with just three games left, the club can't afford any missteps.

Kumar Rocker's up-and-down season ends on a high note that the Rangers will need him to carry into the playoffs

With the outing against the Mets, Rocker's first season as a full-time starter has come to a close. It's been an uneven campaign that has seen him have some very bright moments, especially when following an opener, as well as some very troubling ones.

A big concern has to be the fact that his second half was truly no different than his first. With a 4.38 ERA overall for the season, Rocker put up a 4.40 ERA in the first half along with a 1.37 WHIP, 8.00 K/9, 3.40 BB/9, and a 4.28 FIP. In the second half, he recorded a 4.34 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 9.00 K/9, 4.19 BB/9, and a 4.34 FIP.

Aside from a few more strikeouts (and a few more walks) in the second half, the progress we were hoping to see never came.

If the Rangers make the playoffs, Rocker likely has a big role. There's little chance that Nathan Eovaldi returns to the rotation, so the four starters Texas likely leans on would be Jacob deGrom, MacKenzie Gore, Cody Bradford, and Rocker. deGrom and Gore are pitching through nagging injuries, while Bradford has struggled of late. That would put immense pressure on Rocker to perform.

We've been waiting an eternity to see Rocker rise to the occasion, and while it hasn't happened yet, he might get another opportunity to do so on the October stage. If this last start is any indication, he might finally have arrived, though we've thought this before. Only time will tell if the top draft pick can become the pitcher we've all been dreaming of.

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