Pirates A to Z: Cole Tucker finally found his groove at the plate, now must find a position

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z: An alphabetical player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, from outfielder Anthony Alford to pitcher Miguel Yajure.

Player: Cole Tucker

Position: Shortstop/second base/outfield

Throws: Right

Bats: Switch

Age: 25

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 205 pounds

2021 MLB statistics: Tucker batted .222/.298/.342 with four doubles, two triples, two home runs and 12 RBIs in 43 games.

Contract: Not eligible for arbitration until 2024.

Acquired: Selected in first round of 2014 MLB Draft.

This past season: The odd man out in the spring training battle for the starting shortstop job, Tucker was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis but instead of being sent to the alternate training site he was given a different assignment.

The Pirates asked Tucker to stay behind at Pirate City and work on his offensive approach, primarily focus on stabilizing his lower body to improve his swing.

“There are things that he really wanted to tighten up in terms of his movement patterns in his swing,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “I think once we got out of big league camp and sort of got out of the competitive situation where you have games and you’re trying to get on base, you’re trying to win a job. Once we got past that, we just felt like, in talking to Cole, that it was an opportunity for him to dive back into some work just to tighten that up. To his credit, he really worked hard at it.”

It was a challenge that tested Tucker’s resolve, as he spent that time working with Indianapolis hitting coach Jon Nunnally, using training devices like aqua bags and yoga balls to challenge his stability.

“It was a very humbling experience,” Tucker said. “You want to, A, make the team. And, B, if you don’t, you want to be at the alternate site. Nobody wants to be down grinding at Pirate City and waiting and seeing and doing this thing that nobody else has really done before. That’s a humbling thing to do as a baseball player. It gives you a lot of perspective. … I was in a good headspace. I was just trying to go into it positively and not let it get the best of me and try to be negative because I wasn’t where I wanted to be.”

Tucker started the season at Indy, then spent 13 games with the Pirates between late May and early July. He remained a work in progress at that point, batting .143 (3 for 21) in that stretch. Tucker returned to Indianapolis, where he batted .223/.350/.373 with 11 doubles, two triples, six homers and 20 RBIS in 61 games.

“I was hitting the ball really hard a lot in Triple-A,” Tucker said. “I had some really good days, some really unlucky days, but I felt really good about how I was seeing the ball and hitting it. Obviously, nothing is a perfect science and hitting is really hard. I didn’t light up the stat sheet or anything, but I definitely felt like pitchers were fearing me and I was getting pitched around. When they did give me stuff to hit in the zone, I was really attacking it and hitting it hard.”

Tucker returned to the Pirates in August, and batted .240/.321/.375 over 30 games in the second half. With the individualized work, Tucker said he learned how to stabilize his lower body, which helped see the ball better.

The payoff came in mid-September at Miami, where Tucker went 6 for 11 (.545) in a three-game series against the Marlins to raise his batting average 57 points. That included a 3-for-5 performance with a triple and an RBI single followed by going 2 for 3 with a double and three runs.

“I think it’s just signs of Cole getting better,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “It’s very rewarding because I know he’s doing a lot of hard work in the cage.”

Over the final 16 games, Tucker batted .308 with an .892 OPS. He was thriving, despite playing four positions. In a 14-game span, he started six games at shortstop, four in right field, three at second and two in center. Tucker stood out at second base, making a pair of spectacular catches in a 9-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Oct. 1.

The Cole Tucker game. pic.twitter.com/t9QYDTvUdp

— MLB (@MLB) October 2, 2021

“Anybody who is at the upper levels and has the ability to play in the big leagues — we certainly think Cole is one of those guys — I wouldn’t rule out really anywhere on the field,” Cherington said. “Probably not going to put him behind the plate, but he’s a good athlete with good ability, and I wouldn’t want to put any governor on what he’s capable of doing at the major league level.”

EXCLUSIVE to @MLBNetworkRadio -

Cole Tucker comes clean about his intimate conversations with a certain Hollywood star:@cotuck | @Cody_Bellinger | @daniwex | @Mike_Ferrin | @Pirates pic.twitter.com/2CnkoOFiGd

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) November 25, 2020

The future: After the Pirates parted ways with catcher Jacob Stallings and pitchers Steven Brault and Chad Kuhl, Tucker and right-hander Mitch Keller (both drafted in 2014) enter the 2022 season as the organization’s longest-tenured players.

Tucker’s natural — and preferred — position is still shortstop but he could be a candidate to start at second base or in right field, where he played regularly after Gregory Polanco was released.

“I feel comfortable out there and I feel athletic out there, and I feel like I can catch the ball and know how to throw it,” Tucker said. “The (Clemente) wall is kind of unpredictable there, and you don’t know how it’s going to bounce or what it’s going to do based on what material it hits off of. But I feel comfortable there, too.”

At worst, Tucker is in the driver’s seat for a super-utility position, although he will have to contend with the likes of Michael Chavis, Rodolfo Castro and Hoy Park.

When it comes to which position he wants to play, Tucker remains hopeful that he can stay at shortstop. But, in the same way he embraced an unorthodox approach to hitting, he’s keeping an open mind.

“The answer never really changes,” Tucker said. “Whatever I’m asked to do, I’ll do. I’ll try my best at it.”