Florida State League Player of the Week: SS Cole Tucker – Pirates

By David Conde
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Updated: May 15, 2017

The past week was a short one with teams having the day off for Mother’s Day on Sunday, but it didn’t stop our latest Florida State League Player of the Week from having a productive time at the plate. The Pittsburgh Pirates #5 Top Prospect Cole Tucker wins our FSL weekly award after batting .435 (10 for 23), with six runs scored, three doubles, two triples, two home runs, seven RBIs, and for May 8-14.

Tucker was the Pirates #1 pick in the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft out of Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix Arizona.

Image Source – MiLB.com

The shortstop has quickly moved through the Pirates system landing in the Gulf Coast League (Rookie) after the draft then being sent to the Class-A Full Season affiliate West Virginia Power where he batted .293 with 13 doubles, three triples, two home runs and 25 RBIs in 73 games.

In 2016, he started the season with the Power and in 15 games batted .262, then was promoted to the Marauders and batted .238 in 65 games.

Now this season, Tucker has so far enjoyed a good start, batting .285, with 22 runs, seven doubles, three triples, two home runs, 16 RBI and league leading 24 stolen bases in 34 games.

In late April to the first day of May, Tucker had a 10-game hitting streak, and since that streak, he has hit safely in eight of 11 games. In the same span he also had six multi-hit games. On May 12th, Tucker was 4 for 6, with three runs scored, a double, triple, two home runs (from both sides of the plate) and seven RBIs. The seven runs driven in, tied Jeremy Farrell, who did his feat for the Bradenton Marauders on April 8, 2010.

Congrats to Cole Tucker for being named Legends on Deck’s Florida State League’s Player of the Week for May 8-14.

Honorary Mentions

The New York Mets Jhoan Urena is having his best season of his career so far in the minors. Through 36 games, Urena is batting .352 (45 for 128) with 11 doubles, two home runs, 19 RBIs and 24 walks. Over the past week from May 8 – 14, the Dominican Republic native batted .444 (8 for 18), with three runs scored, two doubles, five RBIs, and four walks.

The New York Yankees Tito Polo, who hails from San Andres Islas, Colombia, arrived to the Yankees organization in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2016. After the trade, he appeared in just two games with the Tampa Yankees and was 2 for 8. In 23 games this season, he is batting .326 (31 for 95), with 18 runs scored, five doubles, two triples, two home runs, and five RBIs. Over the past week, Polo who currently has a 10-game hitting streak, batted .458 (11 for 24), with six runs scored, two doubles, a home run, two RBIs, three walks and eight stolen bases.

The Atlanta Braves prospect Alex Jackson is having a monster year at the plate for the Florida Fire Frogs as he is batting .303, with 26 runs, 12 doubles, and league leading 10 home runs and 30 RBIs in 35 games. Over the past week, Jackson batted .360 (9 for 25), with four runs scored, seven doubles, a home runs, seven RBIs and three walks.

So far this season, only the offense has been honored but finally cracking through is Philadelphia Phillies prospect closer Jeff Singer, who so far in 2017, is 2-1, with a 1.45 ERA, nine saves, 21 strikeouts in 18.2 innings, and a 0.86 WHIP. Over the past week, Singer appeared in three games, recording three saves (4th straight overall) in five innings, allowing no runs on two hits, one walk and six strikeouts.

David Conde

David is the Co-Founder and Executive Editor of Legends On Deck®, as well as a Co-Host on Legends On Deck Podcast. David was a Senior Editor for MetsMerizedOnline.com, MetsMinors.net and Contributor for Hardballchat.com that spanned from 2010 to 2014. David made his MLB Debut as a writer in June 2014, while covering the NY Mets at Citi Field, for MetsmerizedOnline.com. David also coaches baseball for ages 13-15, a Babe Ruth League team in his local community. David's passion is coaching the game he loves to the future Legends of Tomorrow as well as making available a website that people can have fun sharing and reading. David is also passionate about his career as a Mortgage Loan Officer which allows him to help many families reach their dreams of owning a home. Connect with David via his Social Media pages as he loves to chat all about baseball.