CHICAGO ¨C Beyond Kyle Tucker's clear presence in the lineup and the immediate offensive production, Cubs manager Craig Counsell has enjoyed witnessing another, less-obvious impact that the right fielder is having on the ballclub out of the gates this season.
During Tucker¡¯s plate appearances, Counsell has heard conversations among the players watching how the star outfielder has navigated through different situations. Tucker¡¯s ability to blend patience with both power and contact is well-known by now, but his new Cubs teammates have been seeing it firsthand for the first time.
¡°It¡¯s fun to see the other hitters react to watching him hit,¡± Counsell said, ¡°and just identifying his approach and picking things out about what they like about his approach. And that¡¯s fun, because you can see the other guys trying to take something from Kyle.¡±
Tucker continued to put on a hitting clinic Sunday afternoon in the Cubs¡¯ 8-7 loss to the Padres, launching an up-and-in fastball from Logan Gillaspie into the right-field bleachers for his first Wrigley Field home run. The two-run drive in the second inning gave Chicago a 7-3 lead and came after Tucker contributed an RBI single in a wild first inning.
Tucker -- Chicago¡¯s blockbuster trade addition over the offseason -- also drew a walk in his five trips to the plate to boost his season slash line to .319/.458/.745 through 12 games. He has five homers, five doubles, 13 runs, 15 hits, 15 RBIs and twice as many walks (12) as strikeouts (six) on the young season.
¡°He always seems like he¡¯s ready to hit,¡± Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said. ¡°At times, you can overthink it. He never does. He¡¯s always aggressive to what he wants, and I think that¡¯s one of the more impressive things I¡¯ve seen.¡±
Counsell described Tucker as a hitter who is ¡°ready from pitch one,¡± but is just as willing to spit on pitches and take a walk if the opportunistic pitch does not arrive. To that end, Tucker¡¯s walk rate has climbed each year across the past six seasons, rising to 16.5% in 2024 from 5.6% in ¡¯19. His 2025 walk rate sits at 20.3%.
During the second inning of the Cubs¡¯ victory on Saturday, Tucker came to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. The Cubs had a 1-0 lead at the time, but Tucker did not let the situation create any overaggressiveness in the batter¡¯s box. He did not get what he wanted from Nick Pivetta and drew a run-scoring free pass.
Tucker will also find moments to attack early count offerings, as he did with his first-pitch homer off A¡¯s righty Luis Severino on Tuesday in Sacramento.
Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said Tucker¡¯s commitment to his plan is what has really stood out.
¡°A lot of us, two hours before the game, are able to talk about those things in theory,¡± Hoerner said, ¡°and things we want to commit to, and being selectively aggressive and always being ready, but also being patient. It's another thing to live that out when you're 0-for-3, or the pitcher is throwing balls, or the hitter before you made a first-pitch out, or the bases are loaded, or the bases are empty, or the wind's blowing in. Those are all things that can muddle or mess with your conviction, if you let it.
¡°And I think when we're all doing well and having good results, it's easier to do those things. But he seems like someone that's able to commit and live out what he believes in, just over and over and over.
¡°And you see that in how he's always ready to go from the first pitch, but he's also able to take a close 3-2 pitch with guys on base. And I think that's where you roll that approach out over 600 at-bats, and you get the superstar that he is. It's really impressive.¡±
In their conversations about Tucker, that has been a big takeaway for his new Cubs teammates.
¡°It¡¯s having the confidence and commitment to your strengths over and over and over,¡± Hoerner said. ¡°Whatever that means individually for all of us, it's just reflecting on what that best version of ourselves looks like, and rolling it out there as many at-bats as you can.¡±
Tucker said it goes both ways.
¡°Everyone¡¯s here to help each other get better,¡± he said. ¡°I mean, I learn just as much watching everyone as some of them might by watching me.¡±