Cole Tucker Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

Track Record: The Pirates coaxed Tucker out of a commitment to Arizona by taking him in the first round in 2014. Labrum surgery ended his 2015 season and cost him time in 2016. In 2017 he suffered a thumb injury and a hand fracture but had his best pro season, stealing 47 bases and slugging .408 combined at high Class A Bradenton and Double-A Altoona. He struggled early in 2018 but a solid July got him back on track. He finished with 33 extra-base hits and 35 stolen bases, then played well in the Arizona Fall League.

Scouting Report: Tucker has a wiry frame with long levers, and with that much body to control, he can get out of sync at times. He was off balance in the batter's box for most of 2018 and didn't seem to even out until the end of the season. Still, he has some gap-to-gap power, and his plus speed with long strides makes him a constant threat to steal bases. Defensively, he's a fluid athlete with above-average range and an above-average arm, making him a prototype shortstop.

The Future: Tucker will begin 2019 at Triple-A Indianapolis. He should compete with Kevin Newman to be the Pirates' everyday shortstop in 2020 or shortly thereafter.