Kyle Tucker’s recent numbers suggest the Los Angeles Dodgers may be seeing what they expected when they offered him a 4-year, $240 million deal. Over the last seven games, the outfielder has gone 9-for-22, with two homers, scoring seven runs. Yet the late surge has done little to change the picture. Batting at .235, Tucker’s first year with the Dodgers drew a blunt assessment from Robbie Hyde. 

“I know he’s been hitting a lot better as of late, getting hot at the right time as we go into the postseason here. But the season that he’s having overall for the Dodgers, I think, is massively disappointing,” the analyst said in his recent podcast. 

Tucker spent 7 seasons with the Houston Astros and another with the Chicago Cubs before coming to Los Angeles this year. But joining the back-to-back World Series champions didn’t prove to be as fruitful as many expected. He has a slash line of .235/.333/.392 with a .726 OPS, as his numbers are below his career average. His 70 RBIs and 17 HR, Hyde admitted, are not bad. But Tucker has a 103 wRC+, and his WAR stands at just 1.0, which is well below his usual numbers from the last 5 years. 

Back in 2024, he was batting at .289 with a .993 OPS. The next year, he had a batting average of .266 with an .841 OPS, playing for the Cubs. He also went 7-for-27, hitting one home run with 5 runs in the last postseason. That was a good enough reason for the Dodgers to offer him $60 million a year. 

But when you compare his earlier stats with his current season, Hyde’s criticism on YouTube makes sense. 

Kyle Tucker went through an extended hitless streak earlier this year. He made a few mistakes as a defensive player as well. And his miscues became so frustrating that Dodgers fans started booing him. 

His slump at the plate and the home fans offering an unwelcoming atmosphere made him emotional. The weight of the expectation got to him, and during a game with the Colorado Rockies, Tucker was seen trying to fight back his tears. 

The most concerning part of his poor performance was how he was unable to connect at Dodger Stadium. Instead of home-field advantage, he was struggling to get a hit. The difference is still there. Tucker has a .274 batting average for his away games, but at home, it’s just .195 this season. 

However, he was able to get out of the slump with a hit. Although it didn’t help him to put any runs on the scoreboard, it was still enough for the fans to offer him a standing ovation. 

But the struggles earned him plenty of criticism. 

MLB analyst Eric Karros even suggested that Tucker should go for a reset in the minors.

“It’s not ideal, and it’s not working. It’s not just at the plate; it’s out in the field, it’s everywhere,”  he added.

That was in late August. For now, Kyle Tucker is giving enough reasons to have some faith in him. His two homers in the last seven games were split between home and away games. That’s why Robbie Hyde is comparing him with J.D. Drew. 

The right fielder joined the Boston Red Sox in 2007 after spending a couple of years with the Dodgers. But he recorded only 64 RBIs and 11 home runs with a .796 OPS in his first year. But his postseason performance was quite different. He had a grand slam in the ALCS against the Cleveland. Drew went 16-for-51, recording 11 RBIs with a .314 batting average. And the Red Sox won their second World Series ring in four years. 

Hyde wonders whether Tucker can pull off something like that and help the Dodgers complete their three-peat dream. Perhaps that will shut down the noise around his huge contract.