Dodgers' Kyle Tucker problem isn't going away

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Kyle Tucker declined in the second half of last season with the Chicago Cubs after returning from injury.

It's as if he still hasn't found a way to get his arrow pointing back up with the Los Angeles Dodgers right now.

As the calendar reaches the midpoint of June, it's starting to be a real concern. Even when you factor in that last season had some good and some bad for Tucker, this season's numbers are down across the board.

He hit .266 in 2025 with an .841 OPS. In 2026 so far, Tucker is at .235 with a .709 OPS.

These are some other metrics that have dropped this season:

2025	2026
Avg. Exit Velocity	90.1	88.8
Barrel%	10.8	5.2
Hard-hit%	40.4	38.2
Bat speed	72.0	71.3
Whiff%	20.2	23.7

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The only number to have risen is whiff percentage, and that's not one you want to rise.

Tucker is being paid more than $50 million per season to play for the Dodgers. He was the highest-price free agent of the offseason.

The Cubs decided they didn't want him back, and other teams couldn't quite pay him as much as the Dodgers did.

Tucker was joining a conceptually stacked lineup, which would reduce the pressure on him. But on the flip side, he signed for so much money that the pressure was going to be there anyway.

If Tucker doesn't deliver, it'll look brutal for the Dodgers. So far, things aren't going all that well.

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