The Pittsburgh Pirates executed one of the most significant moves in the recent six months, sending second baseman Adam Frazier to the San Diego Padres in exchange for a three-player package.
Tucupita Marcano, an infielder, was the star of the deal, having skipped three levels of the minor leagues before making his Major League debut, much to the astonishment of many.
Marcano did not appear in a single game in the High-A, Double-A, or Triple-A levels. What should the Pittsburgh Pirates do with Marcano in 2022 after the Padres pushed him through the system so quickly?
In his first taste of MLB action, Marcano struggled to hit. Who can blame him, after all? The infielder didn’t play competitively in 2020, and his most recent appearance was at Low-A in 2019, when he was just 19 years old.
This would be the same as the Pittsburgh Pirates allowing Bubba Chandler to start at shortstop on Opening Day in 2023. Marcano only batted 50 times, resulting in a 45 wRC+.
Marcano was demoted to Triple-A after failing in his MLB debut. With the Padre club, he looked quite well. He swung his bat. With a .351 wOBA and 103 wRC+, he hit 273/.366/.442.
Marcano’s ability to avoid strikeouts and draw walks has always been appreciated.
He was only getting down on strike three 12.9 percent of the time, a career low, but his 13.4 percent walk rate was in line with what he normally does. He also had an isolated slugging percentage of.169.
Marcano continued to strike out seldom (15.7 percent) after the move, while walking at a good 12.4 percent.
However, this came with a .286 wOBA and a 71 wRC+. In the final month of the season, he batted better, but it wasn’t the best start to his Pirate career.
How Tall Is Tucupita Marcano?
Tucupita Marcano is 1.83 m tall.