ALTOONA, Pa. -- There have been plenty of new faces in the Altoona Curve clubhouse this season, and while that's a good problem to have in the minor leagues, manager Michael Ryan now has two of the Pirates' top prospects in his care.
Pitcher Mitch Keller, the organization's second-ranked prospect, was promoted to Double-A Altoona last Wednesday where he joined shortstop Cole Tucker, the Pirates' 2014 first-round pick who is the team's fifth-ranked prospect, per MLB.com.
Tucker has 15 games at the Double-A level under his belt and with one month remaining in the regular season and the Curve (58-54) a half-game out of the division lead, Tucker said he's enjoying being in the race while also wanting to see just how much he can improve during this next month.
"It's definitely an adjustment getting my feet wet at the new level, but it's been great," Tucker told DKPittsburghSports.com. "This is a great group of guys and we're playing well as a team and we're starting the push toward the playoffs so it's cool to jump in and be in the thick of that. Personally, I could be playing better, but it's an adjustment, so I'm just getting my feet wet at this level, trying to play good shortstop, have good at bats and good things will come from that."
Hitting .206/.271/.206 with four stolen bases in Altoona, it's been a learning curve for the 21-year-old.
As the new guy in the clubhouse and the youngest there -- with Keller edging him by three months in age -- Tucker's leadership has been evident. Before a game last week he was in the clubhouse locked in on a card game with his new teammates, who were ribbing their young infielder, something the smiling Tucker took in stride, adding that his teammates love to bust on him all the time because of his age. He calls it an honor because it means he must be doing something right.
"He's come here and fit right in," Ryan said. "He's an outspoken guy, happy-go-lucky guy. He draws people to him because of those things and I know it might not be going the way he wants it to go on the field right now, but that doesn't affect what he brings to the clubhouse and he's been a pleasure to be around this year."
Tucker said he's used to always being the youngest on just about every team he's played on, but the promotion to Double-A ball meant his preparation had to change as he studied new pitchers and picked the brains of his coaches and teammates. Tucker slashed .285/.364/.426 in Class-A Bradenton during 68 games this year and also stole 36 bases.
"All these pitchers are kind of new now so I have to study all their tendencies and what they do and how quick they are to the plate," he said. "Speed is definitely a part of my game and I have a lot of stolen bases this year and had a lot of success with that and I'm just trying to carry that over here and try to pick up everything."
Tucker chatted tendencies with Curve shortstop Pablo Reyes, whose 15 stolen bases are tops on the team. Looking at the 'hold times' of the pitchers and chatting with those in the dugout will continue to help Tucker better understand who he can best exploit on the base paths.
"We play these guys a lot so you start to remember, like, 'This guy is this fast to home, this guy is this,' just dealing with the information that's out there every night," Tucker said. "There's a lot of it out there that can clog your mind, but I just try to go day to day. You gotta simplify it, especially in baseball. Baseball is really frustrating if you let it be that. I just try to be carefree and easygoing."
The easygoing part seems to come naturally to the outgoing Tucker, who still marvels at how late summer weather in Altoona mimics that of an Arizona winter. The Phoenix native needs to wear a jacket here, something that brings a smile to his face. And those teammates who needed to step in and take his hand in the card game are the same ones who are toting the highly-touted prospect around town because his car won't be getting a promotion to Altoona until next season.
Using the time between now and then to improve on the field and at the plate is what makes this next month important for him. With five errors already in Altoona -- after having seven errors in 66 games in Bradenton -- Tucker is rolling with the punches as he continues his acclimation.
"You gotta separate the two because you're going to have peaks and valleys in the season and you'll drive yourself crazy if you take your bat out with you to defense," he said. "Especially with me at shortstop, I have to be the captain of the infield out there and gotta separate the two always."
MORE FROM ALTOONA
• Keller made his Double-A debut Sunday night on the road against Trenton. The Pirates' top pitching prospect allowed two runs on five hits during his six innings. Keller notched four strikeouts and issued three walks.
He got off to a particularly sharp start, allowing just one hit -- an infield single in the first inning -- and that was Trenton's only hit through four innings. Trenton recorded four hits and scored two runs off him in the fifth inning.
.@mkeller11 picks up his first Double-A strikeout in a scoreless first inning & we're under way in Trenton
Tune in: https://t.co/aTxgMatY1x pic.twitter.com/Ga5gI0kIod
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) August 6, 2017