The Mets select Kumar Rocker 10th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft

With the 10th selection in the 2021 MLB Draft, the New York Mets selected RHP Kumar Rocker out of Vanderbilt University.

Rocker was widely regarded as the top prospect in the 2021 draft class entering the season, but an up-and-down junior season has cooled the hype surrounding the 6-foot-5, 245-pound right-hander. In 20 starts for the Commodores this year, Rocker had a 2.73 ERA with 179 strikeouts and 39 walks over 122 innings. But like Jack Leiter, his heavily-hyped rotation mate, he seemed to wear down as the season went on and allowed five or more runs in five of his last 13 starts. That inconsistency, combined with the fact that his fastball dropped down to the low 90s early in the season, has created more concerns surrounding Rocker’s ability to dominate as a professional, but the odds are still fairly good considering that he has elite size and stuff (a mid-90s fastball, a mid-80s slider, and a low-80s fastball) and has thrived against elite collegiate competition.