Kyle Tucker was a massive signing for the Dodgers this past offseason. He was the biggest free agent on the market and entered his first season in Los Angeles as the highest-paid player in the league for the 2026 calendar year.
He will make $60 million this season in average annual value (AAV). The only other player that technically has a higher price tag placed on him is Shohei Ohtani, whose $70 million AAV is deferred until 2034.
Tucker’s AAV is higher than elite run producers like Juan Soto ($51 million) and Aaron Judge ($40 million) and is more lucrative than top-end starters like Jacob deGrom ($37 million) and Gerrit Cole ($36 million).
Tucker has not performed up to expectations. When you look at those numbers, he has not really even been close to what the front office hoped to get. His numbers on the field are the lowest of his career, and he missed the All-Star team, breaking his streak of 4 straight.
If you take another look at the on-field numbers, though, they might not look as bad. He is batting .240 with a .712 OPS. He is hovering right around league average in both metrics. He’s hit 9 home runs and has scored 56 times and batted in another 51. It could be worse.
Michael Conforto was the big addition to the lineup in 2025, and he hit .199, while driving in and scoring fewer runs in nearly 40 extra games. Tucker has already been considerably better than the man he replaced.
The other high-profile outfielder on the market was a former Dodger. Cody Bellinger resigned with the Yankees for $32.5 million AAV, and has been better this year. He made the All-Star team, which would make you think he has been way better, but it really has not been by that wide of a gap.
Bellinger is batting .259 with 11 bombs, 52 runs, and 53 RBIs; similar numbers to Tucker when looking at them side by side. New York also just placed him on the injured list with a hamstring strain, and he is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks.
If you are the Dodgers, you would still rather have Tucker because he is available, and Bellinger has a history of missing games. Tucker has also slowly been getting better as the season has progressed, while Bellinger has taken a slight step in the other direction. Bellinger failed to homer in his last 32 games before hitting the IL, while Tucker is fresh off homering in back-to-back games.
“I think he is starting to get more comfortable with the hitting guys and is talking about his feelings and thoughts with them, which I didn’t see before, and the hard contact and walks have been better recently,” said Dave Roberts.
“Pitch selection and controlling the strike zone were hallmarks for him, and he hasn’t been good at it consistently, to be quite honest, and the last couple of weeks I have seen him get back to who he is,” said Roberts.
Only one thing matters for Kyle Tucker. Can he deliver in October? He has played in 3 World Series and won the last time he was there in 2022 with Houston.
Tucker can maintain this same pace for the rest of the regular season, and if he gets hot during the postseason, he will have been worth every penny.
He is a player capable of carrying an offense for stretches; we just haven’t seen it yet in Dodger blue. You do not get that kind of money from the best team in the world without possessing that kind of upside.
Tucker will have his moments over the second half; he is too talented not to. Even if he catches fire for the rest of the year, it would make no difference if he does not show up in the playoffs. The Dodgers are playing for one thing only: 3 consecutive World Series titles, and they are already a lock to make the postseason.
The team and individual players will enjoy their successes during the regular season, but when you sign on for a massive amount of money with the 2026 version of the Dodgers, nothing really matters until October; just ask Blake Snell.
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.