BRADENTON, Fla.

Kevin Newman and Cole Tucker are former first-round picks who play the same position for the Pittsburgh Pirates. When it comes to their performance, the shortstops are more opposites than anything.

Where Newman had a nondescript debut in the major leagues in August 2018, Tucker made an unforgettable first impression by hitting a two-run walkoff home run in his first at-bat last April.

Where Tucker was great with his glove but struggled at the plate, Newman showed he could hit major-league pitching but admits he has room for improvement as a defender.

“We always joke that if you could put my glove and his bat together, we could be an All-Star,” Tucker said, with a laugh. “That’s super ironic.”

What the Pirates would love is for both to be All-Stars, even if that means one eventually has to play another position.

Newman also played second base, third base and left field last season before settling in as the starting shortstop. Tucker never has played anything but shortstop but joked he would be the bullpen catcher if that means staying in “The Show.”

After slashing .308/.353/.446 with 12 home runs and 64 RBIs in 130 games as a rookie last season, the 26-year-old Newman starts spring training with a stronghold at shortstop.

Theirs is a competition worth watching, as one’s strengths are the other’s weaknesses. They have been friends since Newman was Tucker’s host on a recruiting trip to Arizona but are battling for the same job. It’s not just about who will be the starter this season but the Pirates’ shortstop of the future.

“Regardless of what one guy’s strengths or weaknesses, they can feed off each other,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “In any situation where we have competition, I think it makes us better organizationally, and it makes that individual position better. Anytime you have healthy competition and guys are around each other, it makes everybody drive a little bit harder.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton on the competition in spring training between former first-round picks at shortstop, where Kevin Newman has the better bat and Cole Tucker the greater glove. pic.twitter.com/szdasvKwZ9

— Kevin Gorman (@KGorman_Trib) February 14, 2020

The Pirates’ top pick in 2015 (No. 19 overall), Newman was motivated by his own struggles, but the presence of Tucker couldn’t have hurt. Newman batted .209 with no home runs and six RBIs in 31 games in 2018 and lost the starting job last spring to Erik Gonzalez.

The low point for Newman coincided with Tucker’s big moment. Newman suffered a laceration on the middle finger of his right hand and was on the injured list when Gonzalez and Starling Marte had a violent collision in center field that sidelined both players. The Pirates called up Tucker, who hit the dramatic home run and received a curtain call at PNC Park.

“I decided I could either bounce back and make the most of the year or let the early-on stages define me as a player and stay that utility or whatever it turned into,” Newman said. “I wanted to do what I could to get back on the field and be the best player that I could be and to really show who I could be as a major league player. Looking back on the year now, I feel like that’s what I did, and I’m really happy with that.”

So Newman spent the offseason working on his footwork, attempting to improve the jump on his first step so he could gain — and cover — more ground in the hole. It is showing. When he took his first infield practice, Newman made a spectacular stop behind second base, spun and made a pinpoint throw.

Those are the kind of plays Tucker makes appear routine. His defense, however, couldn’t offset his struggles at the plate. Tucker hit safely in five of his first six games before the bottom dropped out. In early June, he was sent to Triple-A Indianapolis and didn’t return for five weeks. In 56 games, Tucker slashed .211/.266/.361 with two homers and 13 RBIs. Tucker will compete with Gonzalez and JT Riddle for a roster spot.

A dream-come-true start ended with Tucker wanting more.

“You do get to the big leagues. You do have some success. You’re hungry for more. I want more of that,” said Tucker, 23, the Pirates’ top pick in 2014 (24th overall). “When it comes to me, everyone is like, ‘Oh, that big home run you hit or that big arrival, that big debut.’ … I want that to kind of be the norm and happen more often. I’m definitely hungry for that this year. I know what that looks like, and I know what that feels like.”

So does Newman, which is a good problem for the Pirates.

Love baseball? Stay up-to-date with the latest Pittsburgh Pirates news.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---