The Chicago Cubs gave up a lot when they traded for Houston Astros right field star Kyle Tucker.
In the deal sealed this past December, the Cubs sent over one-time all-star third baseman Isaac Paredes, promising young pitcher Hayden Wesneski, and third base mega-prospect Cam Smith.
At the time, there were plenty who scoffed at the move. Tucker, after all, would be eligible for free agency after the 2025 season and, given the Cubs’ historical lack of willingness to extend contracts for free agency-bound players, there would be a very good chance that they had given away a chunk of the present and the future for one year of Tucker.
And that may very well be the case.
Kyle Tucker Was Worth The Price
But the 28-year-old multi-tool Astros star is capable of having such a year that, for the Cubs and their fans, the one run at post-season glory in 2025 could be well worth the price paid.
Zachary Roberts of Sportskeeda predicts that the three-time all-star will thrive in Chicago, so much so that he’ll be named NL MVP.
Kyle Tucker, MVP?
Per Roberts:
“Kyle Tucker very well could’ve been an MVP candidate last year. He was off to a hot start, recording 4.2 fWAR in just 78 games. That’s a pace of 8.7 for the entire season, which would’ve ranked him fourth in all of baseball.
The NL is certainly filled with MVP contenders more than the AL, though, with Shohei Ohtani, Elly De La Cruz, Ronald Acuna Jr., Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Mookie Betts and Fernando Tatis Jr. among others. Still, Tucker has the talent and could put it all together.”
If you scan the metrics on Tucker, he, literally, does everything well. There is no weak link to his game and Chicago will be getting him smack-dab in his prime.
The Numbers Make The Case
Last season, in a year where Tucker missed half the campaign following a fluke foul ball shin fracture, he finished with 23 home runs, 49 RBIs, a .289 batting average, and a staggeringly impressive .408 on base percentage. If he had not been injured, he was well on his way to tallying the biggest numbers in a career of big numbers.
Before that 2024 season, he had averaged over 100 RBIs the previous three seasons with home tun totals of 29, 30, and 30. He’s also a decent threat on the bases, with 94 career steals and double-digit thefts in each full year he’s started.
On top of everything, he’s also regarded as an elite defender in right field with a Gold Glove as proof.
And some experts believe that Tucker is actually getting better, growing into an even more complete player with more power.
If all the stars are indeed aligning at the right time, the Cubs will be getting him at the exact perfect moment.
If that’s the case, Tucker’s rising tide will lift all the Cubs boats around him and make for a memorable 2025 run. A winning Cubs team will then help make the case for Tucker as the MVP of a National League currently loaded with superstar, elite-level talent, as Roberts pointed out above.
Everything could be bright and sunny in Chicago in 2025– until it’s time for Tucker to file for free agency.
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