2017 USA Baseball Stars & Stripes
Kumar Rocker's dominating NCAA no-no heats up his cards
The author of one of the greatest pitching performances in college baseball history already has baseball cards.
He's Kumar Rocker and he's a freshman for the Vanderbilt Commodores. He struck out 19 batters in a NCAA Tournament Super Regional on Saturday -- a 3-0 no-hitter that was just the eighth in the history of the event. If you need a record-book refresher, the MLB record for most strikeouts in any game is 20 and the record for most Ks in an MLB no-no is 17.
The 19-year-old won't be seen on the pro scene for a while, but he's already got a number of autographed cards for you to try and stockpile right now.
Carding Baseball America's MLB Prospects Hot Sheet (July 9)
Here's a look at the top five players on this week's Baseball America Top MLB Prospects Hot Sheet and their seasons so far. It's a little something to help those who might want to dabble with prospecting -- some basics on their baseball cards alongside a highlight line from those more scouting-minded. We may not do this every week, but we'll check in on BA's top crop from time to time for the remainder of the season.1. Wander Franco, SS, Tampa Bay Rays — Rookie-level Princeton Rays
Season so far: Hitting .339 with 1 double, 2 homers, 11 RBI and 3 SBs in 14 games
Baseball America’s highlight line: “When we ranked Franco as the No. 1 international prospect last year, we knew he was a talented hitter whose offensive ability was well beyond his years. Since then, he’s only gotten better. ... He has a chance to develop into an impact hitter, the type who could race through the minors and get to the big leagues by the time he’s 20."
CARDBOARD BASICS
Approximate card total (so far): None
First Chrome auto: Not yet
One auto to consider: No autos yet
Buzz’s card take: His first MiLB team-issue cards should be of interest when they arrive -- it sounds like Baseball America is sold -- but watch out for other Wander Franco cards out there. They're relatives who are or have been in the minors, too. This Wander Franco doesn't even have his mugshot on MiLB.com. (Spoiler: That's why you see the No. 2 player on the list above.)Keep reading for the rest of the top five ...
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