SOUTH JORDAN — A lot has changed since Cole Tucker suited up for the Salt Lake Bees last season.
New stadium, new uniforms and many new faces on the final team he played for in his baseball career, but he says one thing still feels the same one year later.
“It’s still got that same heartbeat,” he said, standing inside a completely different dugout than last year. “There’s good people, and it’s just fun to be back and see everyone again. … I’m just excited to be here, be here with my teammates and try to put on a good show for the hometown club.”
Major League Baseball Home Run Derby X officials reached out to Tucker and invited him to represent the Bees for one last time as part of MLB’s tour finale at The Ballpark at America First Square, taking place Friday and Saturday.
He’s joined by former University of Utah standout Hannah Flippen and four-time MLB All-Star Jose Reyes as part of the three-player co-ed teams.
They learned on Thursday that they will compete against the Toronto Blue Jays (Rachel Garcia, Kevin Pillar and Devon Travis) in the quarterfinal. Should they advance, they’d play the winner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Wild Card Team in the semifinals, and either the Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals or Washington Nationals in the finals from there.
Tucker immediately jumped at the opportunity to participate when he was offered a spot on the team in the event, which is like a home run derby with defense and other rules that differ from the traditional derby. The event also features some of the top softball players in the world.
Cole Tucker, on the farthest right, and other Salt Lake Bees players and coaches tip their caps and wave to fans after the last Bees game at Smith’s Ballpark on Sept. 22, 2024. It was also Tucker’s last game before retiring. (Photo: Carter Williams, KSL.com)
Flippen, a two-time Pac-12 player of the year while with the Utes, a champion with the new Athletes Unlimited Softball League and a member of the USA team that won gold at the 2025 World Games, knew others in the softball world who got invites into Home Run Derby X. She received a call asking her to join for the event in Utah, which she couldn’t refuse.
“Anything in Salt Lake City, anything baseball or softball related, I want to be here and I want to be a part of it. … The best place to play baseball or softball is in Utah,” she said, adding that she made sure to visit her old stomping grounds at the University of Utah again when she got back.
Utah softball’s Hannah Flippen poses for photos after practice on May 16, 2017. Flippen recently won a championship in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League and was member of the USA team that won gold at the 2025 World Games. (Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
It was a different case for Reyes, whose major league career was mostly defined by his time with the New York Mets, and whose career never took him to Salt Lake City at any point. However, he was honored to be selected as an honorary hometown member for the first time out in the Beehive State.
“I kind of feel like I have a lot of pressure on my shoulders, but I got these two guys behind me — they know what’s going on here, so we’re going to be just fine,” he said, with a chuckle as he gestured to his teammates for the weekend.
All three are new to the unique home run derby style, but they’re excited to be a part of an event that seeks to build new baseball and softball audiences.
About 20% of the people at previous events said they weren’t fans before, according to former big leaguer Nick Swisher, who helped create the event a few years ago, and who will compete as a Yankee again this weekend. Everyone participating said they’re excited to elevate both games on a different type of stage.
“It’s such a cool family to be a part of,” Tucker said. “I’m very honored to be here, very excited to be here, but I’m excited when they say ‘play ball’ to do something for the fans.”
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