The Kyler Tucker era with the Los Angeles Dodgers got off on the right foot with a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Nonetheless, Tucker had a .200 batting average with three hits, two RBIs, and four runs scored in four games in those three games, per StatMuse.
In January, the Dodgers signed Tucker to a four-year, $240 million contract with opt-outs after the second and third seasons, per ESPN.
With Tucker now a handful of games into his career with the Dodgers, Katie Woo, who covers the team for The Athletic, shared her thoughts on what she has seen from the big free agent signing for Los Angeles.
“[Tucker is] a perfect Dodger,” Woo said on the March 30 edition of “Foul Territory.” “He’s done everything that the Dodgers need him to do already. I love that moment for him in [the] win [on March 27], delivering that key hit to win the game, and that sets the table for the Edwin Díaz first save opportunity.”
Kyler Tucker Allows for Other Dodgers to Slide Into New Roles
Moreover, Woo noted how Tucker has allowed other Dodgers players to find themselves in comfortable positions in the team’s batting order.
“As far as what Kyle Tucker has brought, early returns, he is the No. 2 hitter on the best lineup in baseball,“ Woo added. “And what that’s really allowed them to do is, I think, Mookie Betts really enjoys being in the three-hole now, and it’s kind of slotted everybody down. Freddie Freeman is hitting fifth against lefties.
“That’s never really happened in his career before. It just elongates that lineup and makes it so much more dangerous. I think we’re going to see a huge year out of Kyle Tucker, and I think we’re going to get — baseball is going to — maybe 29 other fan bases are going to get very tired of seeing the same headline over and over.”
Kyler Tucker Explains Reason for Joining LA
Nonetheless, joining a team coming off back-to-back World Series titles rubbed people the wrong way, as Los Angeles continues to be a top destination for free agents looking to win.
On Feb. 23, Tucker shared with MLB Network why the Dodgers made sense for him as the place he wanted to continue his career after leaving the Chicago Cubs, where he only played for one season.
“This is just an organization that I thought was first class from the top down,“ Tucker said. “Really good players and a really great fan base. Everyone, from the front office and the coaching staff to the guys that we see in the locker room every day, is committed to winning. So, just taking all that into account, this is just a place that I want to be a part of.”
Additionally, Tucker spoke about the free agency process and didn’t necessarily have the Dodgers pinpointed as the destination. He added that his focus was more on staying in shape to prepare for the 2026 season as he let the market unfold.
“I treated it like any other offseason, not necessarily worrying about where I’m going to go play, just making sure that wherever I am, I’m going to be ready when the season comes,“ Tucker added. “So I just treated it like a normal offseason, did a couple of family vacations, worked out, and just tried to train, and was just hoping that the rest of it took care of itself. So that’s how I approached it and tried not to stress out too much about it.”
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