(TNS) —If there’s anyone who can empathize with struggling Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Oneil Cruz, it’s Cole Tucker.

Like Cruz, the former Pirates shortstop was asked to make a move to the outfield early in his Major League career.

Like Cruz, the former first-round pick knows the weight of expectation when you struggle as a high-profile prospect and cornerstone of the organization’s building plan.

Like Cruz, at nearly 6-foot-4, Tucker knows the swing path issues that can accompany a wiry frame with long levers in the batter’s box.

“He does have some maturing and development to take place at the big league level. But I like the talent that he has and the size and the leverage. The power that he generates is unbelievable,” Tucker said during Thursday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast. “Such a nice dude. A good teammate.”

Tucker, who just retired on May 20 of this season, has already jumped onto the broadcasting track of his post-playing career. That should surprise no one, given the ebullient personality and natural gift for gab he exuded during interviews throughout his six-year Major League Baseball career.

Not to mention the ease with which he has navigated the waters of being on, as he phrases it, “the edge of the spotlight” of his actress/singer wife, Vanessa Hudgens.

“In elementary school, I was one of the kids who did the announcements,” Tucker remembered with a laugh. “So I’ve always been kind of gregarious and talkative. I taught myself how to read at Diamondbacks games — reading the baseball program. In a very obscure way, I’ve been preparing for it my whole life. … It’s been a passion project of mine on the side in the midst of my baseball career.”

Just a few months into his new endeavor, Tucker is going to be part of Sirius XM’s on-site coverage of next week’s All-Star festivities, including the Home Run Derby. Cruz is going to be a part of that contest, even though some in Pittsburgh have suggested he doesn’t deserve it since he is only hitting .204, and 35 players have more home runs (16) than he has.

Tucker disagrees.

“I think he’s going to put on a show at that park in Atlanta. The ball can fly. I know it’s going to be hot. I’m excited. I think Cruz is going to do great,” Tucker recalled. “He takes some of the best (batting practices) I’ve ever seen. When the Dodgers traded him to us, we were all still in the minor leagues. But everyone’s like, ‘Yo! We just got Darryl Strawberry on our team!’ When Cruz showed up to spring training, everyone knew who they were talking about.”

One thing Tucker said about Cruz is that his “biggest tool” may also be “his biggest detriment.”

What Tucker meant by that is, the 6-foot-7 Cruz has such faith in the plate coverage he possesses with his tremendous wingspan that he thinks he can reach any pitch with power at any time.

But he can’t. And that’s what gets him in trouble.

A .213 career hitter in the big leagues, Tucker admitted he ran into that problem as well.

“It’s a blessing and a curse to be that long. When you’re out of sync, when something in your body is bugging you, when you’re a tick off, mentally, your body gets disconnected easier,” Tucker said. “It’s a bigger body to work with. So when you see him getting out of whack, that’s what has happened.”

Cruz is also dealing with the growing pains of moving from shortstop to the outfield, a decision that was made last year when he was 25 years old. The Pirates dropped that same decision on Tucker late in spring training when he was 23.

“With three or four days left in 2020 spring training, they’re, like, ‘Hey, you’re on the team. You made it. But (Kevin) Newman is going to play shortstop. We need you in the outfield.’ Me and Tarrik Brock went out there and grinded — got worked up to hyper speed. … So I wouldn’t go out there and completely embarrass myself. He’s doing the same thing with Cruzy,” Tucker said. “But my developmental question is, if he’s a guy you think might play the outfield in the big leagues, why aren’t you throwing him out there in Double-A? Or throw him out there in Triple-A?”

One area where Cruz and Tucker aren’t alike, though, is their on-field demeanor. Effort, energy and engagement have all come into question with Cruz, whereas Tucker’s enthusiasm was infectious, even if he was enduring personal challenges at the plate or in the field.

“Those are all things that are controllable (that) Cruz can clean up. He will clean it up as he’s maturing and getting older. I have no doubts that he’ll come around on that,” Tucker insisted. “But it’s time for him to do that. If the Pirates are going to go where they want to go, he has to be a big part of that. He does have some maturing and development to take place at the big league level.”

Also, in our podcast, Tucker talks about anticipating Paul Skenes’ appearance in the All-Star game, his fast ascent to MLB stardom, and the challenges the Pirates face in making his time in Pittsburgh successful.