Kyle Tucker finally delivered the kind of performance the Los Angeles Dodgers wanted to see when they offered him a huge contract this offseason. He hit a three-run homer against the Tampa Bay Rays. And the star outfielder cut down a runner to eventually help his team secure a narrow win. Despite a breakthrough night, Tucker remained heavily dissatisfied, reflecting on his season-long slump. 

“It’s just disgusting. You just stick with it. It’s not fun, but I don’t know. You’ve just got to keep going,” the 4x MLB All-Star stated after the 4-3 win over the Rays. 

Kyle Tucker joined the Dodgers through a four-year, $240 million contract this January. But he has been struggling since the start of the season. Right now, he is batting just .239 with a low .725 OPS and only six home runs. The only time he had a worse figure was in his rookie season with the Houston Astros in 2018. That’s why he isn’t overly happy with just one strong game. 

“It kind of happens. We play so many games that they can get frustrating, but you’ve just got to try and move on to the next at-bat or the next inning and everything,” Tucker added. “You just do your best with that. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”

Notably, this is not the first time he’s gone through an offensive slump. Last July, he recorded a .216 batting average with the Chicago Cubs. Then, in September, it was the worst as he went down to .158 without hitting a single extra base. 

There were similar instances in his last season with the Astros as well. Tucker had a .216 AVG in May 2024. He has been through a slow start before, but this time, he hasn’t been able to pull up his numbers. His current OPS is over 100 points lower than his career average of .853. 

However, his current problems are more than just bad luck. Advanced stats show that Tucker’s power has vanished. According to Baseball Savant, his barrel rate has dropped to 5.6% this season. That is nearly half of his career average. Even his exit velocity has fallen to 89 mph. He is hitting more weak ground balls than at any point since 2023, and his fly-ball rate has hit its lowest mark since 2020.

And that obviously doesn’t show the whole picture of the World Series Champion and the 2x Silver Slugger. That’s exactly the reason the Dodgers continue to trust him. 

Why the Dodgers remain patient with Tucker despite the struggles

The LA side, particularly, manager Dave Roberts knows his value. Despite a low AVG, Tucker has added 43 runs to help the team claim the second spot (390) in the major league. Only Shohei Ohtani (50) and Max Muncy (47) have better numbers than him. 

“When it’s clicking, he’s one of the better players in the game,” Roberts commented after Monday’s game. And he has stood by him earlier as well. 

More importantly, his 85.9 mph arm strength and 90th percentile arm value make him one of the elite defenders. Tucker’s low-altitude throw to the plate to cut down the Rays’ Jonathan Aranda and prevent a run is the prime example of his Gold Glove caliber. 

The Dodgers see him as an important piece in the roster. Instead of calling it an offensive slump, they view the issue as mechanical and fixable. They have also adjusted the lineup to help him improve his numbers. 

Although Kyle Tucker himself has been quite frustrated with his own performance, the team has shown patience. The manager and the front office know what he is capable of.

However, the Dodgers are aiming to win their third straight World Series. They are on the way to the playoffs as of now, and they need everyone at their best. If Tucker doesn’t come out of the slump, the team might need to make some hard decisions. If he cannot start hitting the ball hard again soon, the team may have to cut his playing time to make sure their lineup is fully ready for October.