Astros Preston Tucker a Big Hit in MLB Debut

By Wayne Cavadi | May 8, 2015

The Houston Astros are definitely the feel good story of the 2015 season to date. Many envisioned that this would be the first small step forward towards those infamous 2017 World Series champion predictions. Now, one week into the second month of the season, with a 19-10 record that is not just atop the AL West but the entire American League, those steps have been huge.

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They have been doing it behind one of the best rebuilding projects in baseball of the last decade. The latest contributor was Astros No. 15 prospect Preston Tucker. Tucker was called up from the Pacific Coast League Thursday to replace George Springer who is on the 7-day DL with a concussion.

Tucker was off to a fast start in the minors, leading the power-happy PCL in home runs (10) and RBI (32) when he was called up. He was slashing an impressive .320/.378/.650 line. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Tucker was off to a hot start. He was the Corpus Christi Hooks (Double-A) 2014 Player of the Year after leading the Texas League in extra base hits, total bases, home runs and RBI before a late season promotion to Triple-A.

Tucker’s Thursday night debut started off slowly. He was 0-for-2 with a walk when he came to bat in the ninth inning. The Astros were trailing 2-0 when Jake Marisnick drove in Colby Rasmus to get the Astros within one. Enter Preston Tucker.

“As I told him in the office, there’s opportunities and at-bats to be taken here,” skipper A.J. Hinch told Brian McTaggert of MLB.com. “A lot depends on how he presents himself. If he can help us win, he’ll get the opportunities.”

Well then, it appears Tucker will be seeing some more playing time. The 24-year old lefty singled in the tying run and two batters later, Jose Altuve would seal the deal and win the game.

“It was pretty exciting, especially when we’re out there trying to win a ballgame,” Tucker told McTaggert. “I was trying to be aggressive and put the barrel on the ball. I think we did a good job of coming back at the end and shutting them down.”

Now the Astros will have to face the question of what to do when Springer returns in six days. Right now, there are seemingly no holes in the Astros lineup. Tucker’s strong suit is his bat, as he is not widely known for his defense. Considering a major position change is out of the question. So is replacing Springer, Rasmus, or Marisnick in the outfield right now. It appears that this may not be an extended stay for Tucker.

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Despite Tucker looking solid offensively, his defense is not a strong suit. Tucker is a player that could benefit from everyday playing time, and that won’t happen with a healthy Springer regardless of his slow start. While it may not be the choice that seems best, it could be logical to continue to hone Tucker’s tools in the outfield for Fresno and be ready for the first injury that hits the Astros.

The Astros face three right handers on the next three nights, so Tucker’s left handed bat will be an asset in the lineup. Should Tucker succeed, the Astros may have to make a decision on light hitting Robbie Grossman or Jonathan Villar to make a permanent spot for Tucker on the bench. One thing is for certain: with Altuve, Marisnick, Springer, and Tucker (and quite possibly Carlos Correa very shortly) all 25-years old or younger, the Astros are for real… and here to stay.

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