Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers made one of the biggest moves of the offseason when they signed Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million contract.
Tucker, a four-time All-Star, joined an already star-studded group that includes former MVP winners Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, as well as Will Smith, Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernández.
Tucker is expected to bat second for the Dodgers and will look to complement their lineup with his five-tool ability, which manager Dave Roberts believes could put him in the conversation for National League MVP honors.
Roberts said his biggest hope for Tucker this season is getting on base at a high percentage, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“For me, I just see him as a guy if he gets on base, however he gets on base, that’s the biggest – that’s something we’re looking for and something we’re counting on,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the role he envisions for Kyle Tucker. “Having Mookie (Betts) and Freddie (Freeman) behind him and Will (Smith) – if he’s a guy who gets on base at a high, high clip, then everything else will kind of fall into place.”
Tucker noted that he usually tries setting the table for the rest of the lineup and believes the Dodgers will be tough to face this season:
“I mean, I try and do that regardless,” Tucker said of keeping it simple and just trying to be the “on-base machine” Roberts called him. “Overall, I think our lineup is pretty tough, and when you can’t really get guys to chase, I think it just makes it a little tougher for the other teams to pitch us. We’ve got some really good hitters and guys that control the zone really well over here. So I think it’s gonna be a kind of tough matchup for other pitching staffs.”
Tucker has been a tough out since his breakout season with the Houston Astros in 2021, as his .365 on-base percentage ranks 11th in baseball during that span. He got on base at a .377 clip with the Chicago Cubs last season, and the year before that, posted a career-best .408 OBP in 78 games.
Kyle Tucker confident he’ll get enough at-bats before Opening Day
Tucker recently rejoined the Dodgers after briefly stepping away to be with his wife, Samantha, who gave birth to the couple’s first child earlier this month.
The Dodgers now return to Southern California for the Freeway Series, and Tucker is confident that he’ll get enough at-bats to prepare for the regular season.
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