Express' Tucker joins elite 30/30 club
Kyle Tucker had just joined exclusive company on Saturday night and his coaches and teammates were hoping to see him celebrate with a little flair."We had been messing with him," Triple-A Round Rock manager Mickey Storey said. "We told him, 'Hey, when you get that 30th stolen base, you have
Kyle Tucker had just joined exclusive company on Saturday night and his coaches and teammates were hoping to see him celebrate with a little flair.
"We had been messing with him," Triple-A Round Rock manager Mickey Storey said. "We told him, 'Hey, when you get that 30th stolen base, you have to take the base out of the ground and lift it up, like Rickey Henderson.'"
Tucker, who his manager described as humble, gave an inkling of doing it before merely flashing a smirk toward the dugout.
"He actually pretended like he was going to do it," Storey said. "I don't think anyone else knew what he was doing except us because we were in on the joke. He's very confident and quiet ... but deep down, I knew it was something he could accomplish quite easily."
What he accomplished is rare. MLB.com's No. 13 overall prospect became the fifth player in the 116-year history of the Pacific Coast League to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in the same season as the Express beat New Orleans, 7-1, in the first game of a doubleheader at Dell Diamond.
Gameday box score
After drawing a walk with one out in the sixth inning, Tucker took off and beat the throw from Baby Cakes catcher Tyler Heineman for his 30th steal. He became the first member of the PCL's 30/30 club since Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson had 33 homers and 30 thefts for Albuquerque in 2014.
Storey, who coached the 22-year-old two years ago at Class A Advanced Buies Creek, saw the potential for this milestone and stayed in the prospect's ear.
"He realized he had a good opportunity a couple of weeks ago," the manager said, "and I kept reiterating to him, 'Hey, get there. I know a lot of people haven't done this. You can do it. You just have to keep going.'"
Tucker's career high in steals is 32, so the question of reaching that stat was never out of the question.
"Early on in the year, I said to him, 'If you are having a Kyle Tucker-esque year, then let's try to push this to a 30/30 or 40/40-type season,'" Storey said. "Obviously, Tucker is a special talent, he's a special player. It's been one of those years where the home runs are something where he went through streaks. It's kind of ironic, because he's had some slumps this year also, but the stolen bases have been the constant. When he gets on base, he is aggressive and takes every opportunity to run. That's how you get to 30/30."
The top Astros prospect notched his 30th dinger with a two-homer night on Aug. 7 against El Paso, smashing a two-run shot in the first for his 29th and adding another two-run blast in the sixth.
Along with Pederson, Tucker joins Frank Demaree (1934), Lefty O'Doul (1927) and Tony Lazzeri (1925) as members of the PCL's 30/30 club.
The fifth overall pick in the 2015 Draft, Tucker leads the league in stolen bases, ranks fourth with 32 homers and seventh with 94 RBIs. In 120 games, the left-handed hitter is batting .268 with three triples, 26 doubles and 87 runs scored.
Astros No. 15 propsect Garrett Stubbs contributed three RBIs for the Express, Nick Tanielu clubbed a two-run homer and Chas McCormick hit a solo shot.
Tanielu got in on the fun with Tucker following the game, posting a video of what we assume is the 30/30 man talking about his feat while having a Snapchat filter with a full beard and glasses as part of his decor. Storey wasn't surprised to hear about the antics.
"I'm guessing it is [Tucker] because it usually is," he said. "A couple of guys in our clubhouse, during postgame interviews, it has become somewhat of a tradition for the player of the game. They mess around with those filters."
Astros No. 22 prospect Rogelio Armenteros (6-6) went the distance, allowing one earned run on six hits and a walk while striking out six. It was his second career complete game.
Luis Robert, MLB.com's fifth overall prospect, joined Tucker as a 30/30 member on Saturday. In the second game of a doubleheader for Triple-A Charlotte, the top White Sox prospectsmacked a solo shot for his 30th home run across three levels this season to go with 36 steals. It marks the first time that two players accomplished the feat in the same season since 1981, when Brad Komminsk (Class A Advanced Durham) and Willie Royster (Double-A Charlotte) both got to 30 homers and 30 stolen bases.
Brian Stultz is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @brianjstultz.
Cubs' Rojas, Mets' Tong headline May's Minor League Players of the Month
Minor League Baseball announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners for May in Major League Baseball’s player development system.
Minor League Baseball, Joe Torre Safe At Home partnership enters ninth year
For the ninth year, Minor League Baseball and Joe Torre Safe At Home have teamed up to raise awareness about violence and abuse and to inspire fans of all ages to join them in SAH’s critical work. This year, 63 MiLB teams will participate in an in-ballpark initiative from May
MiLB podcast discusses Anthony, Caglianone at Triple-A
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
These are the greatest Minor League promos happening in June
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
New playoff format coming to 2025 Dominican Summer League
Minor League Baseball announced the 2025 Dominican Summer League (DSL) season will begin June 2 with Opening Day festivities taking place at the Boston Red Sox Academy in Guerra. The 2025 campaign will also see the introduction of the DSL Cup, a new playoff format that will see 16 DSL
Debating best Minor League home caps on podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
The Omaha Storm Chasers' 'Take Meow-t' cat night included a Litter Box Sundae
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Boston's Triple-A affiliate throws birthday bash for Roman Anthony
With all the hype that has surrounded Roman Anthony over the past two seasons, it’s easy to forget how young he really is. MLB's No. 1 prospect played 70 games at the highest level of the Minors before he could order a beer. But he can now. Roman Anthony turned
Friendly foes, 2024 first-rounders Moore and Caglianone trade first Triple-A homers
For years, Christian Moore and Jac Caglianone laced up their cleats against one another in the SEC. A rivalry that spanned Florida, Tennessee and other landmarks across the South moved to Salt Lake City this week as the Royals and Angels' top prospects got simultaneous Triple-A promotions. So it was
Phillies' Moore, Fausnaught join MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now