Cole Tucker
Cole Bryson Tucker (born July 3, 1996) is an American professional baseball shortstop and outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2019. Amateur career. Tucker attended Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix, Arizona, where he played for the school's baseball team. He played for the United States national baseball team in the 2013 18U Baseball World Cup. He committed to play college baseball at the University of Arizona. Professional career. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Tucker in the first round, with the 24th overall selection, of the 2014 Major  League Baseball draft. He signed on June 12, 2014 for a signing bonus worth $1,800,000, and spent 2014 with the Gulf Coast League Pirates, where he batted .267 with a .724 OPS. He had been committed to play college baseball for the Arizona Wildcats. Tucker spent 2015 with the West Virginia Power where he posted a .293 batting average along with 25 stolen bases and 13 doubles. Tucker returned to the Power in 2016, and was later promoted to the Bradenton Marauders, where he batted a combined .242 with two home runs and 27 runs batted in (RBIs) between  both teams. In 2017, he began the season with Bradenton, and was promoted to the Altoona Curve in July. In 110 total games, Tucker posted a .275 batting average, six home runs, 50 RBIs, and 47 stolen bases in the 2017 campaign. MLB.com ranked Tucker as Pittsburgh's fifth best prospect going into the 2018 season. The Pirates added him to their 40-man roster after the season. He opened the 2019 season with the Indianapolis Indians. On April 20, he was called up to the major league roster. He made his major league debut that afternoon versus the San  Francisco Giants. During that game Tucker got his first major league hit in his third at bat, hitting a two-run home run off Derek Holland over the center field wall at PNC Park to give the Pirates a 3–1 lead. The home run became the game-winning hit after the game was called due to rain. In 2020, the Pirates played Tucker as an outfielder, as he slashed .211/.266/.361. The Pirates optioned Tucker to Indianapolis to start the 2021 season. He played in 13 games for the Pirates in May and July, and another 30 games after he was  recalled in August. In 2021, he batted .222/.298/.342 in 43 games. Personal life. Tucker grew up as a fan of the Arizona Diamondbacks. His father is African-American and his mother is European-American. His brother Carson was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. In February 2021, he confirmed via Instagram that he is a relationship with actress Vanessa Hudgens.