Tucupita Marcano seemed to be the main attraction for Pittsburgh at first glance. He’s a versatile player with a high rate of contact.
Originally signed out of Venezuela in 2016, he made his debut in the United States in 2018.
He was #9 on our MadFriars Top 25 list entering this season, having previously featured at the bottom of our Top 20 list heading into 2019.
We previously stated that he was a difficult strikeout pitcher (8 percent K-rate entering 2021), but that he would need to unlock more power to be considered anything more than a first-base bat.
Marcano was a utility player who made the Padres team out of spring training. In 21 big league games, he hit .182/.280/.205 in intermittent playing time.
He displayed outstanding plate discipline (12 percent walk rate) and a high K-rate (18 percent).
Marcano was optioned back to Triple-A on June 7, ending his second stay with the Padres.
Marcano immediately went on a spree, hitting .417/.506/.653 in 90 plate appearances with four home runs, 14 walks, and only eight strikeouts.
Even in the hitter-friendly Triple-A West league, the added power was noteworthy. Marcano had only two home runs in his career as of June.
In July, he batted just .180/.263/.320 with a pair of home runs. His wRC+ dropped to 101 in July, putting him roughly in line with the league average of.272/.367/.444.
If Marcano can add more weight to his frail frame, he may be a top-of-the-order hitter with some gap power and high contact rates, comparable to the man for whom he was traded.
He also comes with six years of control, which the Pirates were clearly interested in. Marcano didn’t have a clear road to regular playing time in San Diego, but he should be able to fit in at second base for Pittsburgh.
Much Does Tucupita Marcano Make?
Tucupita Marcano earns an annual salary of $570,500.