GOLD STANDARD
#5 KUMAR ROCKER, RHP
VANDERBILT
BORN: NOV. 22, 1999. AGE: 21. B-T: R-R. HT: 6-5. WT: 245.
Kumar Rocker is listed at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds and cuts an imposing figure on the mound. Usually wearing Vanderbilt’s black pinstripes—hat, jersey, pants and socks all black—Rocker is a nightmare for opposing batters. Armed with a ferocious fastball/slider combination, he leads the Commodores’ rotation.
Jack Leiter follows Rocker in the Vanderbilt rotation and stands in contrast, listed at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds. He is lithe on the mound and while at first glance doesn’t have the same intimidating build, batters know the danger Leiter presents. He attacks hitters with a four-pitch mix that has been unhittable at times this spring.
As different as Rocker and Leiter might appear at first glance, there is much that connects the righthanders. At their core, they represent the “Vandy Boy” ethos that coach Tim Corbin works so hard to instill in his team. It’s a philosophy that demands team over self and takes great care to make college about much more than baseball.
They are both intense competitors and have former professional athlete fathers. Tracy Rocker played football at Auburn and in the NFL before moving into coaching. He’s currently the defensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. Al Leiter is a two-time all-star lefthander who pitched 19 years in the big leagues, predominantly for the Mets.
The thing that connects the pair the most,
