The first really surprising selection of this year’s MLB Draft was made by the Pirates at #24, by taking Cole Tucker, a high school shortstop from Arizona. I don’t have a whole ton of information about Tucker right in front of me, as he was ranked in the bottom half of most scouting organization’s Top 100s.
To give you an idea of Tucker’s ranking, Kiley McDaniel had him at #99, Baseball America had him at #84, and Jonathan Mayo just looked kind of flabbergasted by the pick on MLBTV.
As Mayo said, though, “The Pirates are gonna do what the Pirates are gonna do.” Tucker is 6’4″, a switch-hitter, a legitimate defensive shortstop, and apparently acquitted himself quite well at the national high school showcase, which put him on the draft map in the first place. Obviously the Pirates’ system is short on middle infield prospects, especially after the Dilson Herrera trade last year. With the Pirates picking again at #36, they apparently must’ve thought that someone else between 25-35 saw the same thing that they did to take him at #24.
Obviously we’ll know more about their overall strategy once they make the rest of their picks tonight, but presumably Tucker will preserve some bonus money to be used in later rounds.
