Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
Kyle Tucker’s first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers has been a massive disappointment with more than half the games already played, but that doesn’t mean he can’t salvage the year.
Entering play on July 24, Tucker was hitting .236/.329/.360 with just seven home runs, 48 RBI and 55 runs scored. When the Dodgers signed Tucker to a four-year, $240 million contract, they expected to get a player much closer to his career line of .269/.355/.491 with multiple 30-homer seasons.
Tucker’s struggles have been frustrating for just about everyone, from the right fielder himself to all the fans watching on a daily basis. It’s not totally clear what the reason for his issues is, but it could very well be more mental than anything physical.
Tucker shared how he’s been able to visualize success, but isn’t getting the results on the field to follow, so he has to keep trying to bounce back each pitch and continue to fight at the plate, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group.
“There’s some times where I see the ball coming in, put a swing on it, and I can visualize the ball coming off the bat and doing what I want with it, but it doesn’t really go that way, which is a little frustrating,” Tucker said. “It happens at times, but at the same time, I just gotta battle for the next pitch and just continue on with the at-bat.”
Visualization is a tool nearly every player from high school and on uses to be successful at the craft, whether that’s hitting or pitching. It acts as positive reinforcement, provides confidence, improves focus and concentration, and helps establish the process of success.
Tucker may have finally seen some of that mental success translate into on-field success on Friday night as he went 2-of-3 with a walk, home run, two RBI, and a run scored.
“For me, it’s coming. It hasn’t been consistent or as fast as we’d like, but he is still going through it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on SportsNet LA. “He’s still working hard. To see some success tonight was a good thing.”
There is still more than two months remaining before the postseason begins, so Tucker has plenty of time to fully get back on track. Even if that never happens in the regular season, all the failures can be washed away with a strong playoff run.
However, there’s also the possibility he needs a full season and offseason to really get settled into things. That was seen with Tanner Scott in his first season with the Dodgers, and now he’s bounced back to pitching like one of the game’s best relievers again.
Dave Roberts gains respect for Kyle Tucker
Tucker has been committed to finding a solution to the issues that have plagued him this season, which is something Roberts deeply appreciates.
Tucker made some swing adjustments in late June that brought success for a bit, but the results started to fade again after a few weeks.
Tucker has also significantly reduced his strikeout rate, but that hasn’t led to increased production to this point.
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