Kyle Tucker

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Kyle Daniel Tucker

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Biographical Information[edit]

The brother of Preston Tucker, outfielder Kyle Tucker was considered one of the top prospects of the 2015 amateur draft and was selected 5th overall by the Houston Astros, his older brother's team. He was Houston's second first-round selection that year, following SS Alex Bregman at #2, the first time a team had had two selections within the top five of a draft. He hit .484 with 10 home runs, 27 RBIs and 29 runs scored as a high school senior. He soon signed and made his pro debut with the GCL Astros on June 22nd, going 0-for-3.

He was named to the United States team for the 2017 Futures Game.

He made his major league debut with the Astros in the middle of the 2018 season, but he did not get established right away, as he only hit .141 in 28 games. He did better in 2019, batting .269 with his first 4 major league homers and an OPS+ of 118 in 22 games. The Astros were an excellent team those years and playing time was hard to come by, but he did see some action in the postseason in 2019, going 2 for 12 as the Astros made it all the way to Game 7 of the World Series, which they lost to the Washington Nationals.

He moved into a regular job in 2020, playing in 58 of the 60 games in the pandemic-shortened season as the team's regular left fielder, an opening caused by a season-ending injury to DH Yordan Alvarez a couple of games into the season. Michael Brantley slid into the DH slot, opening left field for him. He took advantage of the opportunity, batting .268 with 9 homers and 42 RBIs, and also led the American League with 6 triples. His OPS+ was at 124, and he continued to hit well in the postseason: in the Wild Card Series against the Minnesota Twins, he went 3 for 8 with 2 RBIs, followed by a 7 for 17 performance against the Oakland Athletics in the Division Series, and 5 for 24 with his first postseason homer in the loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS. In 2021, he claimed the starting right field job for Houston and had his first full season in the majors, playing 140 games and hitting .294 with 30 homers and 92 RBIs. His OPS+ was now at 147, placing him at an All-Star level of play. He ended the season on a high, being named the American League Player of the Month for September/October when he hit .346 in 30 games, with 10 doubles, 8 homers and 19 RBIs. In the postseason, he was one of the team's most consistent hitters with respectively 5, 6 and 6 hits, and 5, 4 and 4 runs in the three rounds of postseason play. He drove in 7 runs against the Chicago White Sox in the Division Series and 8 against the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS, with a pair of homers each round, but had neither an homer nor an RBI as Houston lost the World Series to the Atlanta Braves in six games.

In 2022, he played in the All-Star Game for the first time and also won a Gold Glove for his defensive play in right field, but his biggest prize that year was being part of the Astros team that won the 2022 World Series. During the season, he hit .257 in 150 games, with 30 homers and 107 RBIs - third most in the American League - and an OPS+ of 159. He once again received some down-ballot support in the MVP vote, finishing 15th, after ending in 20th position in 2021. In the postseason, he had 10 hits and 3 homers, scoring 4 runs and driving in 6 in the three postseason rounds, with two of the homers and five of the RBIs coming in the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. He continued to do well in 2023, as he hit .288 with 13 homers and 56 RBIs in the first half, earning a second consecutive invitation to the All-Star Game. On July 21st, he had the first three-homer game of his career to lead Houston to a 6-4 win over the lowly Oakland Athletics, driving in four of the runs. On September 10th, he achieved a rare feat when he hit two triples in the 6th inning of a 12-2 win against the San Diego Padres. He was the first player in Astros history to do this.

Notable Achievements[edit]

  • 2-time AL All-Star (2022 & 2023)
  • AL Gold Glove Winner (2022/RF)
  • AL Silver Slugger Award Winner (2023)
  • AL Triples Leader (2020)
  • AL RBIs Leader (2023)
  • 20-Home Run Seasons: 3 (2021-2023)
  • 30-Home Run Seasons: 2 (2021 & 2022)
  • 100 RBI Seasons: 2 (2022 & 2023)
  • Won one World Series with the Houston Astros in 2022

Further Reading[edit]

  • David Adler: "The '21 rising star you might have missed", mlb.com, September 18, 2021. [1]
  • Alex Espinoza: "Tucker leaves no pitch safe, crushes three homers in career night: Pressly earns 100th career save as Astros stay undefeated vs A's", mlb.com, July 22, 2023. [2]
  • Brian McTaggart: "Family ties: Astros draft OF Tucker at No. 5: High school outfielder, lefty swinger, brother of Houston left fielder Preston", mlb.com June 8, 2015. [3]
  • Brian McTaggart: "Tucker out to prove 2021 breakout was just the start", mlb.com, March 24, 2022. [4]

Related Sites[edit]

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