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At one point, not too long ago, it was rumored that Kumar Rocker was the potential No.1 pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.
But the hard-throw right-hander Vanderbilt fell – all the way through the Mets’ knees to No.10 – in the first round of the draft Sunday night.
Rocker was second in the country in strikeouts, after teammate and second overall Jack Leiter, with 173 strikeouts in 117.2 innings. He helped the Commodores reach the College World Series.
A source said there were rumors of high cash requests and his speed was down slightly this year which could have helped drag Rocker down the draft board.
Still, Rocker went 14-4 and compiled a 2.73 ERA. MLB.com ranked him as the sixth-best prospect in the draft.
“I think New York really got a good deal at No.10,” MLB Network project analyst Jim Callis said shortly after the selection.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Rocker became the first college pitcher the Mets picked in the first round since David Peterson in 2017.
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