Cole Tucker set to Takeover as Full-Time Shortstop in 2020.
During the Pirates 2019 season, fans got a glimpse of what the future would look like at Shortstop when Cole Tucker got called to the Major Leagues after spending five seasons in the Minor league system. He started his career with a bang hitting a game-winning two-run home run in his Major League debut to give his team a 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants. From then on, Tucker was instantly a fan favorite and started spliting time at shortstop with teammate Kevin Newman as the Bucs were getting him ready to take over.
While his strong defensive play shined bright, his offense had trouble following at the Major League level. In 56 games, the 23-year old ended up hitting just .211 with two home runs and 13 RBI while reaching base at just a .266 clip. After going 6-21 (.286) in his first six games as a big leaguer, Tucker went on a cold spell where he picked up just four hits in his next 32 at bats dropping his average to a measly .177. After spending a month in the Big Leagues, Tucker was sent down to Triple A and would have two more stints with the Bucs finishing the year on the Big League club.
The Pirates have always been patient bringing Tucker up through the Minor League system. He has always had a strong defensive presence on the field, but his offense has seemed to lag behind. In his five year minor league career, Tucker's highest batting average was .293 at Class A West Virginia. He was drafted as the 24th overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft and was assigned to the Gulf Coast League Pirates. He spent the entire 2014 season with the GSL Pirates hitting .267 with two home runs and 10 RBI. He would spend two and a half seasons at the Single A level before making the all important move to Double A Altoona.
He would end the 2017 season hitting .257 over 47 games and hit .259 during his first full Double A season in 2018. While his average wasnt there in 2018, he showed great patience and reached base at a .333 percentage. His 55 walks were a career-high for Tucker and as a result, he would score more runs for the Curve. His defense also shined as he posted a career-high .973 fielding percentage comitting just 14 errors in just over 1100 innings at the Shortstop position. He was rewarded for his efforts, earning an MILB All-Star award for the second year in a row and made the jump to Triple A Indianapolis last season.
However, he would play just 13 games at the Triple A level before being called to the Big Leagues on April 20th, 2019 due to injuries to Erik Gonzalez and Starling Marte. He would make his MLB debut that day and electrified the crowd with his two-run game winning home run to kick-off his MLB career. He would be sent down to Triple A Indianapolis on June 8th and stayed until the end of August where he got called to The Show on two separate occassions. He went into the off-season with some momentum, getting a hit in seven of his last ten games, as he looks to continue improving on offense.
One of the things that plagued Tucker at the Major League level was his number of strikeouts. He was fooled several times by Big League pitching to the tune of a 25.6 strikeout percentage. He clustered that with a walk percentage of only 6.6 and he wasn't doing himself any favors in terms of getting on base. When he did get on base, it was usually against the Breaking ball as he hit .286 with 10 hits, including four doubles against the pitch. One positive to Tucker's game was that he was hitting the ball hard more often than not .
Tucker was able to hit the ball hard at a 36.5% last season which is about two percent higher than League average. However, Tucker hits the ball on the ground way to often, meaning a lot of those hard hits were turning into outs. He hit line drives just 27.8% of the time and hit flyballs 17.6% of the time meaning he isn't getting the elevation that he would like. If Tucker can work on getting the ball off the ground and into the air more often, his offense could continue to improve and make him more of a threat in the Pirates batting order.
One thing that wasn't questioned throughout Tucker's career is his ability to play strong defense at Shortstop. His defense followed him to the Major League level, and he turned out to be one of the Pirates best defensive options throughout the season. He comitted just two errors in just over 300 innings played for a .986 fielding percentage while tallying 45 put outs and 92 assists. His above average speed gives him good range on the field allowing him to get to many balls that other Shortstops wouldn't get. He had an 86% success rate at shortstop and proved he is ready on the defensive side.
However, with only 77 career games played at the Triple A level, Tucker still needs some time to develop and grow into the team's everyday shortstop. With Newman and Adam Frazier still Pirates, it allows the Bucs some time to develop Tucker rather than thrust him into a starting role. Tucker was sent down to Triple A Indianapolis as part of the first round of Spring Training cuts leaving many fans questioning why. But, with a little more time in Indianapolis, Tucker can continue to grow and be better prepared to take over as the team's starting shortstop in 2020.
Prediction: .263, 5 HR, 33 RBI
I think Tucker will start the season at Triple A Indianapolis and will be back with the Big League club halfway through the 2020 regular season. This will give him consistent at bats at the Triple A level as he matures as a hitter. He has the experience of being at the Major League level under his belt, but now he can take that experience and know what he needs to work on. On the defensive side of the ball, Tucker needs to just play his game and continue to make strong accurate throws across the diamond. Before you know it, #3 Cole Tucker will be a regular part of the Pirates everyday starting lineup.
As of now, the season is expected to begin somewhere around May 25th. Until then, we will continue to look at the men who make up this year's team and their contributions in 2020.
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