Former Vanderbilt Pitchers Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker Receive National Recognition

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Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter

Former Vanderbilt pitching duo Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker received national recognition from Baseball America. Rocker has been named Player of the Year, while Leiter was named Freshman of the Year. The two became the first pair of teammates ever to win the awards in the same season.

Leiter and Rocker led the Commodores to a second straight College World Series appearance, eventually losing to Mississippi State. Rocker led the program to a College World Series win in 2019. In 2021, Rocker and Leiter tied for the nation-lead in strikeouts, posting 179 apiece, becoming the first teammates in at least 30 seasons to lead the country in strikeouts. The duo were also recognized as finalists for both the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy.

A unanimous First Team All-American, Rocker posted a 14-4 record on the mound this season, including a 3-1 in the NCAA Tournament. The junior right-hander became only the second player since 1988 to lead the nation in both strikeouts and wins in the same season. Leiter registered 201 strikeouts across his two seasons. The right-hander closed out the season ranking third in the country in hits allowed per nine innings with a mark of 3.93.

Both pitching phenomena’s were drafted top 10 in the 2021 MLB Draft with Leiter going No. 2 overall to the Texas Rangers, eventually signing and receiving a $7.9 million signing bonus. Rocker was drafted by the New York Mets with the No. 10 overall pick. The Mets decided not to sign Rocker after fears over his physical.

Steven Boero
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