Preston Tucker (baseball)

Preston Tucker

Tucker with the Houston Astros
Houston Astros – No. 20
Left fielder
Born: (1990-07-06) July 6, 1990
Tampa, Florida
Bats: Left Throws: Left
MLB debut
May 7, 2015, for the Houston Astros
MLB statistics
(through 2016 season)
Batting average .219
Home runs 17
Runs batted in 41
Teams

Preston M. Tucker (born July 6, 1990) is an American professional baseball left fielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Amateur career

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] He set school records for most hits with 341, runs batted in with 258 and at-bats with 1,035.[4][5] He finished second in school history with 57 home runs and batted .329.

Professional career

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.[6][7] He was then drafted by the Houston Astros in the seventh round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft.[8][9]

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.[10] 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.[11]

On March 28, 2017 he was optioned back to the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League.[12]

Personal life

Tucker's younger brother, Kyle Tucker, played baseball at Plant High,[13] and was selected by the Astros with the fifth overall selection of the 2015 MLB draft.

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. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  3. ↑ Gators 1B Preston Tucker named SEC Co-Freshman of the Year
  4. ↑ "Plant High's Preston Tucker sets Florida Gators' career record for hits". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Gators' Preston Tucker sets school RBI record". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  6. ↑ "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.
  7. ↑ "Former Plant High baseball star Preston Tucker returns for one more season with Florida Gators". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Tampa's Preston Tucker among more Gators selected in MLB Draft". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  9. ↑ Special to Gatorsports.com (July 18, 2012). "Astros sign Preston Tucker". Gainesville.com. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Former ‘Cats outfielder Preston Tucker promoted to Astros". Albany Times-Union. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  11. ↑ "McCann hits leadoff HR in 11th, sends Tigers over Astros". cbssports.com. May 21, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Transactions". Houston Astros. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  13. ↑ "Florida high school sports – Baseball: Young Panthers have big plans". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
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