The 2022 MLB Amateur Draft kicked off on Sunday when the Rangers selected former Vanderbilt stand-out pitcher Kumar Rocker with the 3rd overall pick.
The 6-foot 5-inch, 245-pound right-hander was selected 10th overall by the Mets in the 2021 draft but never signed with the team because he had not taken a physical exam. Rocker instead played independent league ball for the Tri-City Valley Cats where he posted a 1.35 ERA over 20 innings.
During his three years at Vanderbilt, Rocker, 22, was one of the premier pitchers in the sport along with teammate and 2021 Rangers draftee Jack Leiter. In his final season as a Commodore, Rocker had an ERA of 2.73 and a WHIP of .934 across 122 innings. Rocker also struck out 179 batters.
Rocker most notably threw a 19 K no-hitter as a freshman against Duke during the NCAA Super Regionals.
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On Monday, Texas made seven more selections on Day 2 of the draft in rounds 3 through 10.
The Rangers made selections in all rounds except round three. The club forfeited its round two and three picks following the signings of free agent middle infielders Marcus Semien and Corey Seager, the team said.
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Below is information obtained from the team on the day two draftees:
RHP Brock Porter (4th round, 109th overall)
St. Mary's Prep (HS) - Orchard Lake, Michigan
Porter, 19, was the 2021-22 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year. He had a 9-0 record with three no-hitters, a 0.41 ERA, and 115 strikeouts over 58 innings as a senior. The 6-foot-4, 208-pound right-hander was rated as a top-15 prospect in the 2022 class by multiple sources, including MLB Pipeline (11) and Baseball America (12). Porter is committed to play collegiate ball at Clemson.
SS Chandler Pollard (5th round, 139th overall)
Woodward Academy (HS) - College Park, Georgia
Pollard, 18, stole 59 bases in 61 attempts, leading the state and ranking 6th in the nation among high school prep players during his senior season. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound utility player batted .521 with 11 home runs and 36 RBI across 31 games. Pollard is currently committed to play at Washington State University.
OF Tommy Specht (6th round, 169th overall)
Wahlert Catholic High School - Dubuque, Iowa
Specht, 18, opted out of his senior season of high school and instead played for the Clinton LumberKings of the Prospect League. In his junior season, Specht batted .439 with 1.237 OPS, 2 home runs and 14 RBIs, helping the Golden Eagles to a Class 3-A state runner-up finish. Specht is committed to the University of Kentucky.
RHP Luiz Ramirez (7th round, 199th overall)
Long Beach State University - California
Ramirez, 21, went 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA at Long Beach State in 2022, starting just seven games due to a shoulder injury. He was twice named Big West Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 21 and March 21) and once earned National Pitcher of the Week honors (Feb. 21). A 2020 All-American, Ramirez finished his college career with an 8-5 record, 3.38 ERA, and 123 strikeouts in 125.1 innings.
RHP Matt Brosky (8th round, 229th overall)
Youngstown State University - Ohio
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Brosky was named Horizon League Pitcher of the Year and was a First Team All-Horizon League selection this season as a junior at Youngstown State. Brosky went 6-7 with a 2.65 ERA (29 ER/98.2 IP), 102 strikeouts, and a .231 opponent batting average over a school record-tying 15 starts this spring.
SS Griffin Cheney (9th round, 259th overall)
Georgia State University - Georgia
Cheney was a five-year letter winner at Georgia State and posted a career .301 batting average and 22 home runs. The versatile infielder was a four-year starter at shortstop (2019 and 2022), third base (2020), and second base (2021). This past season, he hit .350 and ranked T4th in the Sun Belt Conference with 16 home runs.
OF Josh Hatcher (10th round, 289th overall)
Kennesaw State University - Georgia
Hatcher, 23, played four seasons at Mississippi State (2018-21) before transferring to Kennesaw State where he batted .391 with 15 home runs, 59 RBI, and a school-record 25 doubles this spring. He earned Atlantic Sun Conference First Team honors and was named ASUN Conference Tournament MVP after leading the Owls to their first Conference championship since 2014. Hatcher appeared in 58 games and made 39 starts during Mississippi State's 2021 National Championship season.
Day 3 of the draft continues Tuesday, find the Rangers remaining picks here.
