Preston Tucker (baseball)

Preston Michael Tucker (born July 6, 1990) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Kia Tigers of the KBO League. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves. He stands 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) tall, and weighs 210 pounds (95 kg).

Preston Tucker
Tucker with the Houston Astros
Kia Tigers – No. 22
Outfielder
Born: (1990-07-06) July 6, 1990
Tampa, Florida
Bats: Left Throws: Left
Professional debut
MLB: May 7, 2015, for the Houston Astros
KBO: May 17, 2019, for the Kia Tigers
MLB statistics
(through 2018 season)
Batting average.222
Home runs23
Runs batted in68
KBO statistics
(through June 23, 2020)
Batting average.320
Home runs20
Runs batted in90
Teams

Amateur career
Tucker playing first base at the 2010 CWS

Tucker attended Henry B. Plant High School in Tampa, Florida.[1] He enrolled at the University of Florida and played college baseball for the Florida Gators baseball team from 2009 to 2012. As a freshman, he was the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Freshman Hitter of the Year and the Southeastern Conference Co-Freshman of the Year.[2][3] In 2010, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[4] He set school records for most hits with 341, runs batted in with 258 and at-bats with 1,035.[5][6] He finished second in school history with 57 home runs and batted .329. Tucker was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 16th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign and returned to Florida.[7][8]

Professional career

Houston Astros

Tucker was then drafted by the Houston Astros in the seventh round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft.[9][10]

Tucker started his professional career with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League, hitting .321/.390/.509 with 8 home runs and 38 runs batted in 42 games. He started the 2013 season with the Lancaster JetHawks of the Class A-Advanced California League, and was promoted to the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Class AA Texas League after hitting .326/.384/.544 with 15 home runs in 75 games. In 60 games with Corpus Christi he hit .262/.347/.456 with 10 home runs.

Tucker began the 2015 season with the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. With George Springer suffering a concussion on May 6, the Astros promoted Tucker to the major leagues the next day.[11] On May 7, 2015, Tucker got his first major league hit; a double into right field that tied the score at two and became part of a wild comeback in the 9th inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium against the closer Huston Street. In the game, he went 1-for-3 with the RBI and a walk. On May 21, 2015, Tucker hit his first major league home run in a game against the Detroit Tigers. The solo shot came in the top of the ninth inning off Tigers' closer Joakim Soria, tying the game at 5–5 and handing Soria his first blown save of the season.[12]

On March 28, 2017, the Astros optioned Tucker back to Fresno.[13] He spent the entire 2017 season in Triple-A without making a single appearance in the majors, although he was still on the Astros 40-man roster that year.[14]

On December 15, 2017, the Astros designated Tucker for assignment.[14]

Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds

The Astros traded him to the Atlanta Braves on December 20, 2017, for cash considerations or a player to be named later.[15]

On July 30, 2018, the Braves traded Tucker, Lucas Sims, and Matt Wisler to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Adam Duvall.[16] On September 2, 2018, the Reds traded Tucker back to Atlanta in exchange for cash considerations.[17] The Braves outrighted him to the minors on October 31, 2018.[18] He elected free agency on November 3, 2018.

Chicago White Sox

On February 23, 2019, Tucker signed a minor league deal with the Chicago White Sox that included an invitation to spring training.[19] On May 10, 2019, Tucker requested his release so he could sign with the Kia Tigers of the KBO League.

Kia Tigers

On May 17, 2019, Tucker signed a one-year, $270,000 contract with the Kia Tigers of the KBO League.[20] He re-signed with the club for 2020 to a one-year, $850,000 deal.[21]

Personal life

Tucker's younger brother, Kyle, played baseball at Plant High,[22] and was selected by the Astros with the fifth overall selection of the 2015 MLB draft.

gollark: There are almost no situations in which that is desirable.
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gollark: It should EITHER be concatentation or zip-and-add or something or JUST ERROR like in a sane language.
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gollark: Do YOU want an HNode™ account‽

References
  1. "Former Plant High baseball star Preston Tucker returns for one more season with Florida Gators". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  2. "Gators 1B Preston Tucker named national Freshman Hitter of the Year". Blogs.palmbeachpost.com. June 9, 2009. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  3. "Gators 1B Preston Tucker named SEC Co-Freshman of the Year". Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  4. "Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League" (PDF). capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  5. "Plant High's Preston Tucker sets Florida Gators' career record for hits". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  6. "Gators' Preston Tucker sets school RBI record". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  7. "Florida Gators' Preston Tucker delays pro baseball career to try to win a title in Gainesville". Palm Beach Post. February 14, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  8. "Former Plant High baseball star Preston Tucker returns for one more season with Florida Gators". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  9. "Tampa's Preston Tucker among more Gators selected in MLB Draft". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  10. Special to Gatorsports.com (July 18, 2012). "Astros sign Preston Tucker". Gainesville.com. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  11. "Former 'Cats outfielder Preston Tucker promoted to Astros". Albany Times-Union. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  12. "McCann hits leadoff HR in 11th, sends Tigers over Astros". cbssports.com. May 21, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  13. "Transactions". Houston Astros. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  14. Kaplan, Jake (December 20, 2017). "Astros trade Preston Tucker to Braves". Houston Chroncle. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  15. Macklin, Oliver (December 20, 2017). "Braves acquire OF Tucker; DFA Jackson". MLB.com. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  16. Burns, Gabriel (July 30, 2018). "Braves acquire Adam Duvall for trio of players". Atlanta Journal Constitution. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  17. "Acuna uses power, speed to help Braves pad division lead". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 2, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  18. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/10/braves-outright-lindgren-ramirez-adams-tucker.html
  19. "Chicago White Sox on Twitter".
  20. "KIA Tigers on Twitter".
  21. "Kia Tigers import new pitcher, retain American outfielder". Yonhap News Agency. December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  22. "Florida high school sports – Baseball: Young Panthers have big plans". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
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