CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker won’t transform the Chicago Cubs the way Cooper Flagg will change the fortunes of an NBA lottery team. This also isn’t the NFL, where a franchise quarterback can set up a decade of Super Bowl contention. Baseball is an unpredictable, volatile business. Yet, Tucker’s time in Wrigleyville could be defined by his superstar-level impact.
He is exactly what the Cubs needed after finishing with 83 wins in each of the last two seasons. He is precisely why Jed Hoyer’s data-driven front office traded three players and 14 years of club control for potentially only one season. Making the playoffs this year is the mandate.
How this partnership works will be part of the larger story unfolding at Wrigley Field, which opened its gates for the franchise’s 150th home opener, a crisp 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres. A crowd of 40,244 gathered on a gray, 44-degree Friday afternoon, enjoying the return of a summer staple, as well as a promising 6-4 start. Cubs fans watching Tucker hit second in the lineup and cover right field also want to know how long it will last.
“Anyone wants a player like that long term,” Hoyer said. “He’ll learn what Wrigley is all about over the next few months.”
As advertised, Tucker has already given the Cubs a jolt of left-handed power, answering some of the initial questions about how he would adjust after previously spending his entire professional career with the Houston Astros. Blasting four home runs in four games gave him a cushion before encountering Chicago’s brutal April hitting conditions. He also has a low-key personality and avoids getting caught up in distractions.
“Kyle’s a quiet guy,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He likes to go play, and that’s as much as he needs, and that’s as much as he wants, frankly. But he does some really special things when he’s on the field.”
Kyle Tucker gets a standing ovation in his first at-bat at Wrigley 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/ZtTjLRBCds
— Cubs Zone (@CubsZone) April 4, 2025
Indeed, Tucker is the type of dynamic, well-rounded player who consistently fills up a box score. He began the day as the major-league leader in hits, total bases, extra-base hits and doubles. He walked twice and scored a run during Friday’s win. He has 11 RBIs in 10 games, giving him some breathing room in a new city by putting some numbers on the big video board.
“It definitely helps,” Tucker said. “But it’s obviously a long year. Stats at this point of the season don’t necessarily (matter). It’s more just trying to get wins. You accumulate those rather than the personal stats because those will come and go, and go up and down, throughout the year. You just try to make it as consistent as possible.”
Tucker, 28, will almost certainly explore his options as a free agent after this season. While he may not be Juan Soto, who landed a 15-year, $765 million megadeal with the New York Mets this past offseason, he still is an elite hitter in his prime who can also play Gold Glove defense and steal 30 bases in a season. And if the Toronto Blue Jays potentially sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a long-term contract extension, it would take a big name off the board, leaving Tucker as perhaps the No. 1 free agent next winter.
“Should we count my ‘no comments’ on this question and see how many we get to in six months?” Hoyer said. “Obviously, he’s a great player. That’s why we traded for him. Clearly, he’s the kind of player you want to build a lineup around, build a team around. Any conversations we have with him, we’ll keep internal.”
For now, the Cubs will take Tucker as a good influence on their aggressive base-running style and team-wide offensive approach, which showed against the previously unbeaten Padres. Tucker’s ability to see pitches, draw walks and do damage will create traffic for opposing pitchers, take pressure off his teammates and set an example.
“He always seems like he’s ready to hit,” Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said, “which is really hard with the amount of games you play, the amount of at-bats you get, the amount of new pitchers you may face, the times you can overthink it. He never does. He’s always aggressive to what he wants.”
Counsell said it’s fun to see how Cubs players react to watching Tucker in the batter’s box, specifically mentioning Seiya Suzuki as a hitter who has “absolutely” taken something from Tucker’s decisive game plan.
“Kyle’s a guy who’s very ready from Pitch 1,” Counsell said. “If he gets what he wants Pitch 1, he’s going.”
What Tucker wants will be revealed over time, but his first impression of Wrigley Field as a Cub was “awesome.” Hall of Famers Billy Williams, Ryne Sandberg, Fergie Jenkins, Andre Dawson and Lee Smith handled the first pitch and the seventh-inning stretch, showcasing the franchise’s connections to its history.
Shota Imanaga again pitched with ace-like flair. A deeper lineup than the one that started last season produced only three hits but manufactured just enough offense. Ryan Pressly’s shaky ninth inning didn’t prevent the Cubs from playing postgame music in their underground clubhouse and raising the W flag atop the center-field scoreboard.
“The crowd, the interactions and chanting was pretty cool to see and be a part of,” Tucker said. “We have a really good team.”
(Top photo: Geoff Stellfox / Getty Images)