Kyle Tucker

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Kyle Tucker
Kyle Tucker (48784910186) (cropped).jpg
Tucker with the Houston Astros in 2019
Houston Astros – No. 30
Outfielder
Born: (1997-01-17) January 17, 1997 (age 25)
Tampa, Florida
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 7, 2018, for the Houston Astros
MLB statistics
(through 2021 season)
Batting average.274
Home runs43
Runs batted in149
Teams
  • Houston Astros (2018–present)
Career highlights and awards

Kyle Daniel Tucker (born January 17, 1997) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Astros selected Tucker with the fifth pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft, and he made his MLB debut in 2018.

High school career[]

Tucker attended Henry B. Plant High School in Tampa, Florida, and played for their baseball team.[1] He appeared in Perfect Game's All American Classic.[2] Tucker was named Florida's Gatorade Player of the Year.[3][4]

Tucker committed to attend the University of Florida on a college baseball scholarship to play for the Florida Gators,[5] but was expected to be a first round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft.[6] The Houston Astros selected him with the fifth overall selection in the draft.[7] He officially signed on June 15.[8]

Professional career[]

Minor leagues[]

Tucker played for the Greeneville Astros of the Rookie-level Appalachian League.[9] He began the 2016 season with the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Class A Midwest League,[10] and received a midseason promotion to the Lancaster JetHawks of the Class A-Advanced California League.[11] Tucker hit .285/.360/.438 with 32 stolen bases, nine home runs, and 69 runs batted in (RBIs) in 2016.[12]

Tucker began the 2017 season with the Buies Creek Astros of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League, and was promoted to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Class AA Texas League in May.[13] He appeared in the 2017 All-Star Futures Game.[14] He finished the season batting a combined .274/.346/.528 with 25 home runs and 90 RBIs between Buies Creek and Corpus Christi. After the season, the Astros assigned Tucker to the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League.[15][16]

Tucker began the 2018 season with the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League.[17] After he batted .306 in 80 games, the Astros promoted him to the major leagues on July 7.[18]

Houston Astros[]

Early major league career (2018–20)[]

Tucker made his major league debut on July 7, 2018,[19] versus the Chicago White Sox. He collected his first major league hit and RBI that day.[20] He batted .141/.236/.203 in 72 plate appearances for the Astros in 2018.[21]

Tucker spent the 2019 minor league season with the Round Rock Express, hitting .266/.350/.555/.905 with 34 home runs, 97 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases.[22] Tucker was promoted to the Astros on September 2, 2019.[23] In 2019 with the Astros, he batted .269/.319/.537 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 67 at bats, while stealing five bases without being caught.[24]

In 2020, Tucker batted .268/.325/.512 with six triples (leading the American League, AL), nine home runs, and 42 RBIs in 209 at bats, and stole eight bases while being caught once. He also placed sixth in the league in RBI, sixth in extra-base hits (27), and seventh in stolen bases.[24] He played in 13 playoff games, batting .306/.327/.367 before a season-ending loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series (ALCS).[25]

All-MLB Second Team (2021)[]

Tucker authored a breakout season in 2021: from May 1 through the end of the season, he batted .320 and led the AL in on-base percentage, slugging and OPS.[26] By hitting his 30th home run on October 3, Tucker became the third Astro to have hit 30 home runs hit in one season before turning age 25.[27] In September and October, he batted .346 with eight home runs, 20 runs scored, 19 RBIs, a .438 on-base percentage, and a .692 slugging percentage for a 1.130 OPS. He was awarded the AL Player of the Month for September, his first career monthly award.[28]

In his first full, unshortened, major league season, Tucker reached career-highs in nearly every offensive category, batting .294/.359./.557/.917, with 37 doubles, 30 home runs, 92 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, 282 total bases, and 147 OPS+ in 140 games played. He ranked ninth in the AL in batting, third in slugging percentage and OPS, fifth in doubles and OPS+, and tenth in Wins Above Replacement (5.7 WAR, per Baseball-Reference).[24] He was named as a Gold Glove finalist in right field with +11 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), tied with Joey Gallo and Aaron Judge for second place behind Adolis García.[29] Tucker was announced as a finalist for the Silver Slugger Award for outfielders on October 25, 2021;[30] the three outfielder winners were Teoscar Hernández, Judge and Cedric Mullins[31] Tucker received his first selection as a Sporting News AL All-Star at outfield, [32] and to the All-MLB Second Team.[33]

In Game 4 of the 2021 American League Division Series (ALDS) against the Chicago White Sox on October 12, Tucker stole second and third base in the fourth inning to become the first Astro to steal two bases in the same inning of a postseason game. [34] He slashed .279/.333/.541 in 61 postseason at bats, stole five bases, hit four home runs, and led both leagues in postseason runs batted in (RBI) with fifteen.[35]

Personal life[]

Tucker's older brother, Preston, is also a professional baseball player.[5]

Awards[]

Awards won by Kyle Tucker
Award Category Result /
Section 		Year Ref.
Baseball America High School Player of the Year 2015 [36]
Sporting News American League All-Star Outfield 2021 [32]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Plant High baseball phenoms will draw scouts". TBO.com. February 9, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  2. ^ "Florida high school sports - Tucker and Chatfield to play in Perfect Game All-American Classic". tampabay.com. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  3. ^ "Florida high school sports - Plant's Kyle Tucker named Gatorade Player of the Year for Florida". tampabay.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  4. ^ "Florida Baseball POY: Kyle Tucker". USA Today High School Sports. May 28, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "ALL-USA Watch: Plant's Kyle Tucker following his brother's career arc - USA Today High School Sports - USA Today High School Sports". USA Today High School Sports. May 15, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  6. ^ "The Sports Update: Kyle Tucker 'excited about draft'". Ultimate Astros. May 16, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  7. ^ "Astros take OF Kyle Tucker with fifth pick of first round". Ultimate Astros. June 8, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  8. ^ Jose de Jesus Ortiz on (June 15, 2015). "Astros sign draftee Kyle Tucker". Blog.chron.com. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  9. ^ "Tucker helps Astros even Appy semifinals". MiLB.com. September 4, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  10. ^ Steve Batterson (May 26, 2016). "Education continues for Astros prospect Tucker with River Bandits | Midwest League Baseball". qctimes.com. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  11. ^ Kaplan, Jake (August 17, 2016). "Astros promote top outfield prospect Kyle Tucker to Class A Lancaster - Houston Chronicle". Chron.com. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  12. ^ "Kyle Tucker Stats, Highlights, Bio | MiLB.com Stats | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". Milb.com. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  13. ^ McTaggart, Brian (January 20, 2016). "Kyle Tucker promoted to Corpus Christi | MLB.com". M.mlb.com. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  14. ^ "Hooks' Tucker selected for All-Star Futures Game". Caller.com. June 29, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  15. ^ Goodman, Kyra (January 20, 2016). "Astros' Kyle Tucker triples in Fall League win". MLB.com. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  16. ^ Boor, William (January 20, 2016). "Astros' Kyle Tucker notches three hits in AFL". MLB.com. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  17. ^ "Tucker continues hot start for Grizzlies". MiLB.com. April 6, 2018. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  18. ^ Rome, Chandler (July 7, 2018). "Astros promote Kyle Tucker; option Jake Marisnick to Triple-A Fresno - Houston Chronicle". Chron.com. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  19. ^ "Astros LF Tucker has single, RBI in MLB debut". ESPN.com. July 7, 2018.
  20. ^ Landry, Kennedi (October 9, 2021). "'Underrated' Tucker riding strong '21 into DS". MLB.com. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  21. ^ Robertson, Dale (December 10, 2018). "Kyle Tucker intent on being big part of 2019 Astros". HoustonChronicle.com. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  22. ^ Hunter Atkins (August 25, 2019). "Astros prospect Kyle Tucker posts 30-30 season". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  23. ^ RotoWire Staff (September 2, 2019). "Astros' Kyle Tucker: Set to join team Monday". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  24. ^ a b c "Kyle Tucker stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  25. ^ Landry, Kennedi (October 12, 2021). "Another HR, 4 more RBIs: Tucker hot in ALDS". MLB.com. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  26. ^ McTaggart, Brian (December 1, 2021). "Houston's all-time single-season team". MLB.com. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  27. ^ Rome, Chandler [@Chandler_Rome] (October 3, 2021). "A full list of Astros players to have a 30-homer season at age 24 or younger in franchise history: Alex Bregman Yordan Alvarez Kyle Tucker" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021 – via Twitter.
  28. ^ Adler, David (October 4, 2021). "Tucker, O'Neill top players for September". MLB.com. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  29. ^ Adler, David (October 28, 2021). "Gold Glove finalists unveiled". MLB.com. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  30. ^ Murphy, Brian (October 25, 2021). "Silver Slugger Award finalists announced". MLB.com. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  31. ^ Harrigan, Thomas (November 11, 2021). "Silver Slugger Award winners announced". MLB.com. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  32. ^ a b Foster, Jason (October 28, 2021). "Sporting News 2021 MLB awards: Ohtani voted top player; Posey leads Giants in strong showing". Sporting News. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  33. ^ Castrovince, Anthony (November 23, 2021). "The '21 All-MLB Team is here. And it's stacked". MLB.com. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  34. ^ Langs, Sarah [@SlangsOnSports] (October 12, 2021). "Kyle Tucker is the 1st Astros player with multiple stolen bases in a postseason inning" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021 – via Twitter.
  35. ^ Espinoza, Christian Jaz (November 14, 2021). "Houston Astros 2021 year in review: Kyle Tucker".
  36. ^ "Kyle Tucker awards". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 25, 2021.

External links[]

Achievements
Preceded by American League Player of the Month
September 2021 		Succeeded by
Most recent
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