Pirates prospect Cole Tucker could add flavor to infield

With his bushy hair, wide smile and gregarious personality, no one would describe Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect Cole Tucker as vanilla.

“I’m not that vanilla,” Tucker said at PiratesFest last week. “I’ve got some sprinkles in my game.”

Tucker, though, considers “vanilla” a compliment. After all, two of his role models during his ascension from Arizona prep star through the Pirates minor league system have been two “vanilla” former Pirates shortstops.

Jay Bell (1990-92) and Jordy Mercer (2013-15) were starters for the two most recent runs of Pirates postseason teams. Bell was one of Tucker’s coaches at Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix, Ariz. Mercer was a mentor during Tucker’s audition at Pirates spring training last year.

“I can’t say enough about (Mercer) as a professional and as a teammate,” Tucker said, “but there is something to be said for — ‘unspectacular’ is kind of an unflattering word — but ‘steady.’ Jay Bell … always talks about ‘vanilla baseball’ — just making the routine play, having good at-bats, being on the field every day. … Jordy did an unbelievable job of paying vanilla baseball.”

Tucker’s game has about as much “vanilla” to it as his extroverted disposition. He is a former first-round pick (taken 24th overall in 2014). He stands 6-foot-3 and is a switch-hitter with speed (126 steals in 444 minor-league games).

As one of the team’s top prospects (fangraphs.com had Tucker as the No. 74 prospect in baseball last year), Tucker’s time will come in Pittsburgh. He was added to the 40-man roster earlier this winter and is pegged to play 2019 in Triple-A.

“Cole Tucker … seems to be maturing as he elevates and plays at higher levels of competition, which is always something that’s attractive,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said at PiratesFest. “He went to the (Arizona Fall League), and he might have played his best baseball in his professional career at the best level he’s ever been at, so that gets your attention.”

In 20 games for the Surprise Saguaros in October and November, Tucker hit .370 with a .442 on-base percentage and .899 OPS. He finished third in the league — one that annually features many of the game’s top prospects — in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, 11th in on-base-plus-slugging and tied for fifth in runs (11).

The Arizona Fall League performance capped a 2019 that began slowly for Tucker at Double-A Altoona. However, over his final 113 games for the Curve through the AFL schedule, Tucker hit .297 with a .782 OPS, 74 runs and 38 steals.

“I made a little bit of a batting-stance change,” said Tucker, who turned 22 in July. “I just focused on being taller and more athletic and letting my athleticism play and ultimately just using my legs more and just trying to drive the ball, and when the pitch is in the zone just trying to kill it. I am not a big home-run hitter, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hit the ball really, really, really hard.”

Hurdle’s relationship with Tucker predates Tucker getting drafted. Bell, a former Pirates hitting coach under Hurdle, introduced the two in 2013.

Six years later, Tucker is days away from reporting to Bradenton, Fla., to attend spring training as a 40-man roster player for the first time.

“Most of what Jay shared with us about Cole Tucker years ago was spot on,” Hurdle said. “He’s got a gifted skillset. He’s had to battle through some adversity already. His offense seems to be catching up to his defense. He’s getting some man muscles because the frame was just wiry, and now there’s some strength. And he’s the glove magnet that you are looking for out there. He got some of our attention last year.”

Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris at cadamski@tribweb.com or via Twitter @C_AdamskiTrib.