When the Chicago Cubs traded for Kyle Tucker in December, they should have seen this dry spell coming. His spring training couldn’t be off to a worse start.
He has 14 at bats and hasn’t recorded a single hit. Honestly that shouldn’t come as a surprise thanks to Tucker consistently being inconsistent. He has no problem producing in the regular season. The problem lies with his ability to produce in the postseason.
In his last three postseasons with the Houston Astros, he has just one with a batting average higher than .200. Last year he had just seven at bats, but the two years prior, he totaled 89 at bats with just 16 hits. So it’s not a complete shocker that he hasn’t recorded a hit in six games in spring training.
That said, because he’s a player that’s played well in the regular season, the Cubs shouldn’t sound the alarm just yet. Yes, it’s not a good start to his time in Chicago. But, for what it’s worth, spring training has very little influence on a team’s success so maybe that’s a good omen for Tucker as he gets used to his new team.
The Cubs are learning a Kyle Tucker lesson that Astros fans know all too well
The good thing is spring training just started and the regular season is when he thrives. That said, Astros fans know all too well how inconsistent Tucker can be. Which is why they had no problem watching him become the Cubs’ problem.
Tucker has just one year left on his deal. So the good thing, Cubs fans, is that he has no choice but to play better. He’ll have a chance to prove himself. That said he’s not off to a good start at all.
He’ll still be in the Cubs’ starting rotation and he’ll still have a chance to produce, it just will take some time, clearly. Every year since his rookie season in the MLB, Tucker has batted .250 or higher. He also has four-straight seasons with 20 or more home runs and has two seasons with 100 or more RBIs.
Last season in 78 games with the Astros, he slashed .289/.408.585. He can produce in the regular season, the problem is in the postseason and apparently in spring training.
Tucker is inconsistent, that shouldn’t be a surprise to the Cubs after watching his regular seasons get wasted with poor postseason performances. And now it’s bleeding into spring training.
I guess the good thing, Cubs fans, is it can’t get any worse. He doesn’t have a hit yet so it’s only up from here!