Sometimes injuries force teams to do things they likely don’t want to in the first place. Add “ineffectiveness" to the injury and you now have the recipe for unexpected call ups. This was the case for the Pirates when they recalled shortstop Cole Tucker on Saturday and promptly inserted him into the lineup as a leadoff hitter. Welcome to the big leagues, kid.
The Rankings
Tucker clocked in at #93 in our cornerstone Top 100 (defense included) but #191 in our fantasy top 300 list. On the Pirates Top 30 he was ranked fifth overall.
The Tools
Defense (60 field/70 arm): If you’re wondering why there’s a near-100 spot difference between our real life list and our fantasy list for Tucker, it’s because of the defense. He’s a premium defender at short, showcasing soft hands, good footwork laterally and an easy ability to handle short hops and liners. Despite the 6-foot-3 frame, he makes it looks easy at the six.
Power (45 game/50 raw): The big drawback with Tucker in terms fantasy appeal has always been his power. He relies on his upper body to generate strength and I don’t see him engaging his lower half to create that torque. The swing doesn’t have a ton of loft either unless he’s swinging at something below the knees. A switch hitter, he generates the most power when he bats righty. It’s worth nothing that he had seven extra-base hits in 13 games at Triple-A this year where they’re using the MLB ball. I don’t feel comfortable simply adding grades of power thanks to the ball, but if he’s suddenly an average power bat, it wouldn’t surprise me.
Hit (40 present/50 future): Tucker’s been a hit-over-power player for the majority of his career. As he climbed to Double-A his averaged dipped into the .250s over the course of 170+ games. The bat speed is somewhat lacking and spin has been an issue for him in the past, but he has a knack for making contact thanks to his eye at the plate. He’s walked at about a 10 percent clip since he hit High-A in 2016. This is why he’s been a leadoff hitter in all his minor league stops (as well as day one in his major league debut). If you’re in a deep OBP league, he’s worth a gamble solely because of his walks.
Speed (55 present/50 future): “Only above-average speed?!” I know, bit of a shocker for someone who stole 47 bases in 2017 and 35 in 2018. But Tucker’s been abusing minor league baseball’s subpar catchers for a while. He’s been caught stealing a fair share (65 SB% in 2018, 75 SB% in 2017) which’ll limit his ability to run on big league catchers. Ultimately I expect him to be a 15-steal threat give or take 2-3 steals.
Prediction: Tucker is a high floor player that should stick in the lineup solely on his glove. The Pirates don’t have anyone to challenge him should he start off hot and with Erik Gonzalez on the 60-day IL, he might very well hold the job all year. The big variable will come with the new ball and whether his early Triple-A success was just a hot streak or a hint at a new swing. Should he unlock more power, Tucker becomes much more appealing across the board. Otherwise, he’s a good player to slot in your MI position in deeper leagues.