Tucker launches spring HR for first hit with Cubs

MESA, Ariz. -- After heading down the dugout steps on Sunday afternoon, Kyle Tucker was greeted by silence. His teammates sat on the bench or leaned on the railing, eyes fixed on the field as the star outfielder worked on removing his batting gloves.

It was the classic silent treatment for a player who launched a milestone homer.

Tucker’s towering shot off Giants right-hander Landen Roupp in the third inning of Sunday’s Cactus League game marked his first home run in a Cubs uniform. Not only that, his blast to the berm in center field snapped an 0-for-20 dry spell to start his first spring with the North Siders.

“It was nice to at least get one before the season starts,” Tucker said. “The most important thing for me in Spring Training is just making it through healthy and making sure you’ve got enough reps to where you feel like you’re good once the season starts. I’ve felt pretty solid at the plate.”

At the dugout steps, Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson jokingly motioned for someone to go retrieve the baseball as a keepsake. Tucker also noted that center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong broke during the team’s silent celebration.

“I wasn’t sure if that was going to happen or not,” Tucker said of the dugout’s response. “And then everyone was mad at PCA, because he dabbed me up and stuff. So, they were yelling at him. It was funny. It was a good time.”

The homer had to feel great for Tucker, who was the Cubs’ blockbuster trade addition of the winter. In December, Chicago sent third baseman Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and Top 100 prospect Cam Smith to Houston in order to reel in a player who could immediately enhance and impact the lineup.

Tucker insisted last week that he was not worrying about his slow start in Cactus League play, given that he focuses more on process and behind-the-scenes work than on-field results. Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly echoed that sentiment, noting that the outfielder was just “underneath” a lot of pitches early in Spring Training action.

It happened again in Tucker’s first at-bat against Roupp in the first inning, when he launched a pitch to deep center only to see it fall short of the wall for a flyout.

“I hit a few balls like that,” Tucker said. “If they get down, great. If they don’t, I did what I could on them. I’ve just missed a few balls that I’ve hit well, but they just didn’t quite catch the barrel or didn’t carry or just didn’t fall.”

Tucker’s timing and bat path aligned for Sunday’s shot, which put his unique swing and power on display. That is a great sign, given that the Cubs are set to depart Arizona after Tuesday’s game against the Brewers to prepare for the Tokyo Series (March 18-19) against the Dodgers next week.

This is not new for Tucker, either. Back in 2022, he hit just .227 with a .488 OPS in 23 Spring Training plate appearances for the Astros. He then went on to have a 30-homer season with 107 RBIs, making an All-Star team and garnering down-ballot votes in the American League MVP race.

“When the lights turn on, these guys are just fine,” Kelly said. “It’s more of a process than it is, ‘OK, I have to get results to feel good.’ These guys are old enough now to where, if they feel good and they don’t get the results, they're not going to jump ship.”