Now this looks like the Kumar Rocker the scouting community fell in love with in college. The Rangers righty aced his first test against Triple-A hitters last night and again headlines a star-studded Thursday morning prospect report.

Kumar Rocker, RHP, Rangers: Rocker’s first Triple-A start turned into one of the more dominant outings Triple-A outings of the season. Rocker struck out 10 of the 16 batters he faced. The only baserunner Rocker allowed came when Alex Freeland hit Rocker with a comebacker that then bounced all the way to second baseman Justin Foscue. Rocker was OK, remained in the game and retired the final nine batters he faced. While his numbers were impressive, the way he did it is what really stood out.

Rocker sat at 97-98 mph with his fastball, touching 100 (99.9). His 83-87 mph slider was as good as it looked in his best outings at Vanderbilt. It had sharp downward movement. He threw 26 sliders, of which 19 were strikes. Oklahoma City batters swung at 14 of them. They swung and missed 11 times for an absurd 79% whiff rate. The three sliders they did hit were two foul balls and a groundout. Rocker struggled in his first rehab starts at the Arizona Complex League, but he’s now posted a 0.41 ERA with .121 opponents average in six starts in Double-A and Triple-A. He’s allowed nine hits and three walks while striking out 35 in 21.2 innings since he reached Double-A. He’s struck out 46% of the batters he’s faced in Double-A and Triple-A.

Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Giants: Giants 2023 first-rounder Bryce Eldridge has impressed in his first full professional season. He went 2-for-3 with a home run Wednesday night and is now hitting .317/.427/.553 with nine home runs since being promoted to High-A June 28. Eldridge has been especially hot in the month of August, hitting .354/.455/.695 with seven home runs. A 6-foot-7 athletic power hitter, Eldridge looks like a star in the making.

Cam Smith, 3B, Cubs: Smith has picked up where he left off last week, only this time it’s at a higher level of play. Smith was promoted to High-A South Bend on Monday and has turned in a pair of two-hit games since then. On Wednesday, Smith hit his first High-A extra-base hit with a double in the bottom of the eighth. The Cubs’ 2024 first-round pick, Smith is enjoying a productive debut as a professional.

Walker Jenkins, OF, Twins: In a battle of top prospects against a Lake County squad with three fellow Top 100 Prospects, Jenkins ran away with the affair. He went 3-for-5 with a triple, a run and a stolen base. Jenkins was promoted to High-A on July 30 and has hit .289/.352/.485 over 24 games. While Jenkins has yet to show over the fence power in abundance, he’s shown excellent feel to hit with present gap power that should grow into all fields power in time.

Michael Arroyo, 2B, Mariners: Arroyo hit his 21st home run of the season on Wednesday in Everett’s 7-5 win over Eugene in High-A Northwest League play. Arroyo went 2-for-4 on the night with a walk and a double. He drove in three runs and scored three times to account for most of Everett’s offense in one way or another. Arroyo has shown an impressive combination of swing decisions, contact and the ability to optimize hard contact.

Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals: Crews hit his first major league home run Wednesday, a leadoff homer against Yankees LHP Carlos Rodon. The Nationals never relinquished the lead from there in a 5-2 win. Crews went 2-for-4, giving him consecutive two-hit games as he’s settling in nicely over his first week in the major leagues. Crews alongside James Wood give the Nationals the core of one the best young outfields in baseball.

Why Is Charlie Condon Struggling In His Pro Debut?

It’s early going still for Charlie Condon and the rest of the 2024 draftees who are making their pro debuts this summer, but for the No. 1 prospect and third overall pick from the class, the adjustment to pro pitching has been shaky. Carlos Collazo dives into Condon’s early performance, including a concerning early strikeout rate, to try to identify why the top draft prospect in the 2024 class is scuffling out of the gates.

Baseball America Helium Pick Of The Day

Seth Hernandez, TWP, Corona (Calif.) HS: Speaking of the draft, it’s about time Hernandez jumps onto your radar as we begin to look ahead to 2025. He has drawn Dylan Lesko comparisons on the mound and genuinely excited scouts with his potential as a hitter this summer as well. The Vanderbilt commit is one of our prep showcase all-stars from the summer, and you can see Carlos Collazo’s latest on Hernandez in our weekly Hot Sheet show below as well.

In Case You Missed It

Carlos Collazo explains why Seth Hernandez dazzled scouts this summer.