The 2019 PDP League

Tucker played in the inaugural Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League in Florida in 2019 that showcased the 80 best high school baseball players in America.
Among some of the participants then who have already made strides in MLB are:

Catcher Kyle Teel, Chicago White Sox; Infielders Colt Keith, Detroit Tigers; Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals; Outfielders Dylan Crews, Washington Nationals; Petey Halpin, Cleveland Guardians; Infielder/outfielders Jordan Walker, St. Louis; Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics; Pitchers Nolan McLean, New York Mets; Kyle Harrison, Milwaukee Brewers; Jared Jones, Pittsburgh Pirates; Cade Horton, Chicago Cubs; Mick Abel, Minnesota Twins.

Several others are playing this season in Double-A or Triple-A, refining their skills.

An Athletic Family

Tucker grew up in Phoenix watching big leaguers play in spring training. He was a star at Mountain Pointe High School and became the 12th player from the school to be drafted. Four played MLB ball: Joe Mather, brothers C.J. and Kevin Cron and Carson’s older brother Cole.

Cole Tucker, also an infielder, was a first-round pick by the Pirates in 2012; dad played briefly in the Cardinals’ system in the 1980s; mom was a volleyball player at the University of Arizona.

Carson played only three games as a high school senior due to Covid shutting down prep athletics. He had signed a letter of intent to play college ball at Texas. So did Petey Halpin, a highly skilled prep outfielder from California. Neither suited up for the Longhorns.

Cleveland drafted Tucker No. 23 overall and Halpin at No. 95 in the third round. Left-hander Logan Allen, who has pitched 74 games for Cleveland, was the club’s second-round pick in 2020.

That year, then-Cleveland star Trevor Bauer pitched to Cole, while Carson hit a long shot off Allen in the Arizona desert. Click on this fun video that shows men being boys playing a game they love in brutal heat on rocks during the pandemic.

To gain further insight into Carson’s current mindset, this fine San Antonio Missions podcast earlier this month covers the ups and downs of his young career.

Men On A Mission

San Antonio has been a key spot on the playing patch of 10 eventual members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

• Adrian Beltre hit .321 for the Missions in his first pro season in 1998, his professional debut season. The third baseman made his MLB debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers that year and played until 2018, hitting .286 with 477 homers, 1,707 RBI and winning 5 gold gloves and 4 siler slugger awards.
• Pedro Martinez had a 1.76 ERA in 12 games for the 1991 Missions in the Dodgers’ chain. In 18 MLB seasons for five teams, he had a 219-100 record and 2.93 ERA, winning three Cy Young awards.
• Mike Piazza got called up to the Dodgers in 1992 after hitting .377 in 31 games for San Antonio For five teams through 2007, the 12-time all-star hit .308 with 477 homers.
• Dennis Eckersley went 14-3 for the Missions in 1973. The Cleveland Indians called him up the next year at age 20 and he pitched for five MLB clubs until age 43 in 1998. He had a no-hitter for Cleveland in 1977, won 20 for the Boston Red Sox in 1978, and won the 1992 AL Cy Young Award as a reliever. He totaled 197 wins, 390 saves.
• Joe Morgan hit .323 with 47 steals for San Antonio in 1964. The second baseman totaled 689 steals, 1,650 runs and 268 homers over 22 seasons with five MLB teams through 1984. He was NL MVP in 1975 and 1976, helping the Cincinnati Reds to World Series wins both year.
• Billy Williams hit .317 and teammate Ron Santo hit .327 for the 1959 Missions. Both became Chicago Cubs legends. Williams was the 1961 NL Rookie of the Year and hit .290 with 426 homers for two teams through 1976. Santo was a nine-time all-star, five-time gold glover and hit 342 homers for Chicago’s two MLB clubs, 1960-1984.
• Brooks Robinson hit .270 in 188 games for San Antonio in 1956-57. He played in 18 All-Star games, won 16 consecutive gold gloves at third base, was the 1964 AL MVP, 1967 All-Star MVP and 1970 World Series MVP, had 268 homers and 1,357 RBI – all in 23 years with the Baltimore Orioles.

Tucker’s Future With San Diego Padres

He is only 24 years and finally healthy. Most importantly, he is rid of the stigma of trying to live up to being a precocious first-round pick. He’s enjoying the game instead of pressing to succeed.

It helps to be hitting well right now. Success always makes any game fun. There will be off days ahead and how Tucker responds to limit any future failure will be the deciding factor.

The athleticism is there. The opportunity is there. The San Diego Padres have given him a chance. Even better, Carson Tucker has given himself a chance to make his career a success story after all.