The Continual Evolution of Preston Tucker
Preston Tucker, the older brother of current Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker, was originally selected by Houston in the seventh round of the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft.
After spending three and a half seasons in the Astros farm system, Tucker finally got the call to the Big Leagues in 2015.
In his rookie season with the Astros, Tucker slashed .243/.297/.437 through 98 games (300 at-bats) with 33 RBI and 13 home runs, garnering his first MLB hit on May 7, 2015.
In 2016, Tucker played in just 48 games for the Astros (134 at-bats) and slashed .164/.222/.328 with eight RBI and four home runs before returning to the Minors and spending time with the Double-A team (six games) and Triple-A squad (53 games).
Tucker's Minor League slash line for 2016 was .283/.332/.474 and he spent the entire 2017 in Triple-A (playing in 128 games with a .250 batting average) without being called up to the Majors.
On December 20, 2017, Tucker was traded to the Atlanta Braves and he played in just 16 games with Atlanta's Triple-A team before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds along with Lucas Smith and Matt Wisler for Adam Duvall.
After playing in just two games with the Reds' Triple-A team, Cincinnati traded Tucker back to the Braves for cash before Atlanta outrighted him to the Minors and he elected free agency on Nov. 3, 2018.
During the 2018 MLB season, Tucker appeared in 17 games for the Reds and 80 games for the Braves. His final game in Atlanta during the 2018 season is the last time Tucker has been on an MLB roster.
Tucker originally signed a Minor League contract with the Chicago White Sox on Feb. 23, 2019, but in May of that year he asked for his release so he could play overseas with the Kia Tigers in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) League.
Tucker's first stint with the Tigers in 2019 netted the former Astros outfielder a one-year contract for $270,000. In 95 games, he slashed .311/.381/.479 with 50 RBI and nine home runs, one of his most productive seasons as a professional baseball player.
Kia re-signed Tucker in 2020 to a one-year deal worth $850,000, and with COVID hitting the United States in the midst of the KBO season getting underway, all eyes were glued on the Korean League as sports activities in America were put on hold.
As a die-hard baseball fan, I'll wholeheartedly admit that I watched a ton of KBO games in 2020, especially Tigers games since Tucker was a member of their team.
With MLB games on hold in America, ESPN even aired multiple KBO games at the crack of dawn -- with many of the matchups starting around 4 a.m. Central Time.
I digress.
Tucker's second year with Kia was even more fruitful than his 2019 campaign, with the American outfielder slashing .306/.398/.557 through 142 games with 113 RBI and 32 home runs, by far the best season Tucker has had to date.
His remarkable second stint netted Tucker a one-year contract once again on Dec. 8, 2020, this time for $1.05 million.
Unfortunately, Tucker underperformed in 2021 while slashing just .237/.334/.350 with 59 RBI and nine home runs in 127 games for Kia, and the Tigers parted ways with the former Astros player on Nov. 30, 2021.
On March 31, 2022, Tucker was back in the MLB farm system as he signed a Minor League contract to return to the Braves.
In 75 games with Atlanta's Triple-A team, Tucker slashed .267/.347/.426 with 47 RBI and nine home runs. He once again elected free agency on Nov. 10, 2022.
The San Diego Padres inked Tucker to a Minor League deal with an invite to spring training on Dec. 9, 2022, as he currently plays for Triple-A El Paso.
In fact, Tucker was batting sixth and playing left field for the El Paso Chihuahuas in Jose Altuve's first rehab game with the Sugar Land Space Cowboys on Friday, May 12.
This season for the Chihuahuas, Tucker is slashing .293/.448/.585 through 26 games (82 at-bats) with 16 RBI and five home runs.
One thing is certain: Tucker has never given up through all these years to return to The Show.
And he's fighting for a chance to make that happen in 2023.
With just a small snapshot under his belt this season but impressive numbers nonetheless, the eldest of the Tucker brothers is patiently awaiting another change to prove he belongs in the Pros.
Could the 32-year-old Preston finally get that call this season?
It's still early in the year, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Preston in a Padres uniform sometime this season.
He deserves another shot, and God knows he won't quit until he gets that chance.
The Tuckers are fighters, and Preston is proving that every single day.
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