Carson Tucker displayed notable results in the three games he played in with Mountain Pointe High School in Arizona this spring.
Although his spring season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, the prep shortstop enhanced his status as an MLB draft prospect in those three games.
Professional scouts project Tucker as an early-round pick in June’s draft. He could hear his name called as early as the second half of the first round.
“It’s something you will never forget,” Tucker said. “I’ve always dreamed about this position as a draft prospect and having a chance to go pretty high in the draft and being in this process means a lot. I think I’ve handled it well, especially with the coronavirus stuff.
Tucker is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound shortstop who hits from the right side of the plate with an upright stance. He has a short, compact swing and consistently barrels up pitches.
He made some slight adjustments this offseason, altering the setup in his batting stance. He incorporated a kickback approach to help his body get more in sync this spring, which led to impressive results in his three high school games.
Defensively, he has all the tools to stick at shortstop long-term. He has the agility, arm strength and a quick release to make all the necessary throws required at shortstop.
“Talking to scouts, they said I did everything I could and showed everything I could do, whether that was running, improving my speed and strength, hitting, as I had two homers in a game, and my defense was really good too,” said Tucker on his performance this spring.
Tucker isn’t a stranger to the draft process. His older brother, Cole, was the 24th overall pick in the 2014 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cole made it to the major leagues and played in 56 games with the Pirates last year.
Tucker said watching his older brother go through the draft process, along with his family’s experience with the draft, has helped him over the last few months in preparation for this year’s draft.
If Tucker doesn’t sign a pro contract this summer, he will attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.
“A team should draft me because they are going to get the best out of me,” Tucker said. “They are going to get everything out of me, and I’m want to be the best baseball player. I want to be a hall of famer – that’s my goal. I also want to win a World Series and be successful with whatever team that is.”
Read an in-depth story on Carson Tucker’s development into a top MLB draft prospect here.
Read more stories on top 2020 MLB draft prospects here.
Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for five years. He’s interviewed 191 of the top draft prospects in that period, including three No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today and The Arizona Republic, have quoted his work, while he’s appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
