Chicago Cubs new addition Kyle Tucker has not collected a hit so far in spring training. The 28 year old has had 18 plate appearances, but a giant goose egg remains in the hit column. Here, we dig into if this is concerning or not and how it may actually be representative of an early season trend.
Kyle Tucker does not have a hit
Across 18 plate appearances this spring, Tucker has drawn three walks, has one sac fly that resulted in a run batted in, and he has struck out six times. There is not much to look into regarding a 33 percent strikeout rate across 18 trips to the plate, but based on previous early season trends it’s clear that he is traditionally a slower starter offensively.
Historically, March/April are Kyle Tucker’s worst months offensively
Across seven big league seasons, Tucker’s offensive numbers including batting average (.251), slugging (.458), and OPS (.796) are the lowest during the March/April months. His numbers tend to slowly improve as the season progresses, with his best months at the plate coming post All-Star break.
What should the Chicago Cubs do to combat his history of starting slow?
In the past, the Houston Astros typically have had Tucker receive anywhere from 34-50 plate appearances during spring training, but he’s also had years where he just barely cracked 20. It’s fair to think that getting as many game reps as possible would be best, but with the Toyko Series rapidly approaching he doesn’t have much time left.
Beyond timing, another challenge this year is that, unlike the consistent conditions of Minute Maid Park, Tucker will play a significant number of games in unpredictable outdoor weather this March and April. If it’s cold and the wind is blowing in at Wrigley Field, his numbers certainly will not look great.
How the Cubs manage Tucker’s work load going forward will be worth monitoring. Hopefully they have a formula in place where he can be looking more in mid-season form in March/April rather than stumbling out of the gate.
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