Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Scouting the 2015 Draft: Kyle Tucker
Kyle Tucker is a lanky 6'4", 175 lb power hitting corner OF from the Florida HS ranks. He is the brother of Preston Tucker who attended Florida U and was drafted in the 8'th round by the Astros. Kyle has a smooth swing with loft. He hits the ball high and deep. He hit the only XBH in the PG All-American classic in Petco Park when he hit a ball that 2-hopped the CF fence. The exit velocity on that hit was 105 MPH. His power swing did not prevent him from making contact in HS as he K'd just 12 times in 3 HS seasons encompassing 262 PA. Here is his full HS stat line: 443/565/.887, 20 2B, 3 3B, 20 HR, 44 BB, 12 HR in 262 PA. Of course, HS stats are HS stats. I cannot recall the Giants taking a player remotely resembling Kyle Tucker in round 1, ever. BA has him ranked at #26 on their early 2015 draft rankings. Kiley McDaniel has him at #25 and comments that his swing has been compared to Ted Williams, Ken Griffey Jr and Daryl Strawberry.
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Steven Duggar looks like someone they might select with one of their second round picks.I think they go pitcher w 18th pick.And,can go either way w 34th.Baker is an interesting prospect.
ReplyDeleteDoes Steven Duggar have something like 20 siblings?
DeleteHmm, now this kid has some interesting elements. High contact, low K-rate, 16% BB, but with all kinds of power to boot.
ReplyDeleteI'm putting this guy in my 1st round sleeper bag for the Giants. I agree this isn't their typical profile, but he fills a lot of what they look for, and I'm not sure there isn't a team that's not looking for the next Ken Griffey/Ted Williams profile.
Did he go through any international tournaments? That might give some external scouting opportunities beyond HS.
What sinks a hit tool like this all the way down to around #25 in the draft?
Beyond that one big hit in Petco, he has not performed well in showcase games. That is probably why he is not in the top 5 or 10.
DeleteAny reports about his defense? A bat like his with a defensive profile that fits better at 1B or DH might sour scouts on him a bit. Plus a weak level of competition might also be a reason for caution. Dr. B's note sbout poor showcase performance might allude to the fact that scouts might worry a bit about Tucker facing elite pitching.
ReplyDeleteI think the D is OK. He runs a sub-7 60 and hits 89 MPH on OF throws. Maybe more of a LF arm than RF though.
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