Prospects deliver key hits
MIAMI — Astros outfield prospects Kyle Tucker and Derek Fisher each started and had a hand in the U.S. Team’s 7-6 victory over the World Team in Sunday’s Futures Game at Marlins Park.
Fisher, 23, an outfielder who debuted with the Astros last month, laced a two-run double to leftcenter field off 6-7 Yankees prospect Domingo Acevedo in the fourth inning. He also drew a two-out walk against Dodgers flamethrower Yadier Alvarez in the first inning and scored the game’s first run on a single by Nick Senzel of the Reds.
“It was the first time I was able to play with my country on my chest,” Fisher said. “Being able to do that and continue to put runs on the board with a good at-bat, it was a lot of fun.”
Tucker, 20, an outfielder, is the Astros’ best prospect and the 11th-best in the industry, according to Baseball America. He scorched a run-scoring double to left field against Mike Soroka of the Braves in the third inning. He grounded out to second base and flew out to the warning track in right-center field in his other two at-bats.
“It was a lot of fun,” Tucker said. “I’m just glad we got the win.”
The World Team clawed back from a 7-0 deficit through four innings. Astros first-base prospect Yordan Alvarez extended the game with two outs in the ninth with a runscoring single against A’s lefthander A.J. Puk . He also walked in the seventh against Rice product and Diamondbacks farmhand Jon Duplantier.
Fisher and Tucker each played the field for five innings, with Fisher in left and Tucker in right. Fisher hit third in the U.S. Team’s lineup and Tucker sixth. Alvarez entered to play first base for the World Team in the bottom of the fifth.
Tucker improves power numbers
When U.S. Team manager Charles Johnson made wholesale substitutions after the fifth inning of Sunday’s Futures Game, Astros outfield prospects Derek Fisher and Kyle Tucker found themselves on the bench of the third-base dugout at Marlins Park.
In his third and final at-bat the inning before, Tucker had driven a ball toward the right-center gap but World Team right fielder Eloy Jimenez of the Cubs settled under it and made the catch.
Fisher, 23, made sure to give Tucker, 20, a hard time once both were removed the game. It was a rare miss for Tucker, the lefthanded hitter whom Baseball America ranks as the game’s 11th-best prospect.
After an offseason in which he added about 15 pounds to his 6-4 frame, he’s tapped into his power this year in Class A and Class AA. Tucker has 17 homers between the two levels, eight more than his career-high total last season.
“Last year, I probably had the same power but I was just topspinning balls,” he said. “I feel like every time I would get a good pitch to hit I would roll it over to second or first or just topspin a single into right. So now I’ve kind of got that backspin right, and I’m staying through the ball better. It’s been working.”