What Rangers fans can reasonably expect from Kumar Rocker in 2025

The offseason leaves room for pundits and fans to wonder how young players will progress and whether or not they will live up to expectations.

With the Texas Rangers attempting to patch up their bullpen and potentially re-sign Nathan Eovaldi and/or Andrew Heaney, the bottom tier of the starting rotation will likely be comprised of fresh talents like starting pitcher Kumar Rocker. While it would be natural to expect the young righty to meet the moment, it's worth looking at what can reasonably be expected in 2025.

Rocker made his major league debut this past September and finished the season in Arlington. Across 11.2 innings of work, he recorded a 3.86 ERA and struck out 14 batters. He did not crack five innings in any of his three starts, but also showed the kind of stuff that could leave opposing hitters frustrated.

The 24-year-old's average fastball clocked in at around 96 MPH. Further, he recorded a GB% of 52.9 and a K% of 25.5. Of course, these marks are not fully fleshed out given Rocker only made three appearances, but they hint at what Texas hopes he will be going forward.

What Rangers fans can reasonably expect from Kumar Rocker in 2025

At his best, Rocker could be a powerful arm who strikes out hitters at a high clip and utilizes his fastball to keep the opposition wondering when they'll see his high-octane slider next. But, given his injury history and the fact that he's only had a small taste of MLB action, fans should be content with a serviceable version of Rocker that consistently gets deeper into games next season.

Rocker did not throw more than 75 pitches during his starts in Arlington. His next step would figure to be becoming a more reliable starter who can get deeper into games. To accomplish this, he will have to hope that his fastball holds up against MLB talent and that his slider lives up to the hype.

If strikeouts don't automatically come for Rocker, he would be wise to use his sinker to record ground ball outs from time to time. Above all else, it will be imperative that he stays healthy while trying to stay in the fold.

Kumar Rocker will be competing for a rotation spot this spring. Even though it would not be fair to assume he'll be a "phenom" out of the gate, it is reasonable to ask that he improves in terms of sustainability and situational awareness.