3. Kyle Tucker has faded into obscurity at worst time for Astros
In the non-Ohtani division of the AL MVP race this season, there was a large chunk of the year wherein Kyle Tucker looked like one of the best players in baseball. Though he faded a bit, he still ended the year with massive numbers, slashing .284/.369/.517 with 29 home runs, 37 doubles, five triples and a career-high 112 RBI.
Naturally, Houston would be hoping that Tucker, even if those numbers took a dip against elite competition in the postseason, could continue being that type of big-time hitter in the postseason.
He hasn't, though. And Game 2 made that even more evident as he continued to slumb at the absolute worst time. Tucker finished the game going 0-for-4 with a strikeout and, arguably, only one competitive at-bat. That also came in the first inning, which resulted in a nice play from Nathaniel Lowe at first to snag a hard-hit line drive. The rest of his plate appearances also didn't leave the infield, though, and all obviously resulted in outs.
Tucker is now slashing just .111/.238/.167 in the playoffs for the Astros. That's a drop in OPS of more than 400 points, which is wholly indicative of how much of a non-factor he's been in this lineup. It would be bad enough to have an everyday player hitting so poorly, but it's even more detrimental when Tucker is in the 3-hole and part of the heart of this Houston batting order.
If we don't see Tucker start to turn it around in Game 3 -- or maybe even regardless of that -- it might be time for Baker to drop him in the order. Right now, he's providing nothing for the offense and, frankly, might be doing more harm than good.