Pittsburgh Pirates Draft: Getting to Know Tanner Tredaway

The Pittsburgh Pirates made several great picks in the 2022 MLB Draft, and one of those was their 10th-round draft pick, outfielder Tanner Tredaway, whom I had the pleasure of speaking with.

This past season, Tanner Tredaway played for Oklahoma and led them to the finals of the College World Series where they fell to Ole Miss. Tredaway played a huge part in making it to the finals, as in the semi-final game that clinched their tickets to the finals, he blasted two homers in that game to propel them to victory over Virginia Tech. This helped lead to the Pittsburgh Pirates selecting him in the 10th round of the MLB Draft.

This clutch hitting in the CWS further proves that he is the type of player that he says he is since he stated the following when asked who he compares to. “I’m not a flashy type of player like a Tatis but I’m more of a Chris Taylor kind of guy. I live for big moments and can play anywhere that you put me on the field”

This versatility is something that the Pittsburgh Pirates will like, as they have a tendency to try to get the most out of players by getting them to play as many different positions as possible.

While Tredaway was a star in his final season at Oklahoma, this was not always the case. He started off his colligate career at a JUCO school, Seminole State College in Seminole Oklahoma. While starting off in JUCO is never an athlete’s dream, Tanner was very appreciative of his time there and what it taught him:

“JUCO has made me the man I am today though, it has taught me how to be tough and how to train on my own.”

When asked what advice he would have for kids facing the decision on if they should go to JUCO or not he had the following to say:

“… absolutely consider it because kids these days don’t realize the good that it brings. JUCO brings a lot more oppertuinity …. It will teach you how to grind at this game.”

This grinding that Tredaway mentions here is something that he has taken with him all his career, as he says that experience helped to build what in his opinion is his greatest strength/what he can bring to the Pittsburgh Pirates and that is: “[My] willingness to win. That is something that I have always been taught to do is win and I use that to drive me.”

After his freshman season in JUCO ball, Tredaway transferred to Oklahoma, and put up decent stats up through his 2021 season, which got cut short due to injury. He decided to come back to Oklahoma for his final season after that injury-shortened year and it was a great decision, as he went off this year.

Tredaway had 105 hits, the second most in school history, a .370 average, and nine homers. His stats were even more impressive in the postseason, as he had an average of .448, three dingers, and 15 RBI in only 16 games. These stats continue to back up his previous claim stating that he lives for the big moments.

When asked what clicked to allow him to come back from his injury and have the greatest season of his career he had the following to say:

“I just got to play loose and be myself. I was a senior that just wanted to win and I didn’t have to worry about the draft or any other things. It was all about being with my teammates and being myself. I think that elevated my game, and because of the success that I had. I now understand how to repeat that feeling”

This loose style of play is something that Tredaway is looking to continue playing with in order to help him hit the ground running and carry the momentum from his great year into the beginning of his pro-ball career.