With Kyle Tucker’s star power and clubhouse vibes, Cubs believe their strong start is real

Kyle Tucker is expected to be the No. 1 free agent available next winter, potentially landing “a nine-figure contract that starts with a 6,” according to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden. Whether the Cubs are willing to pay that price is irrelevant at this point, because they have a first-place club and so much will happen between now and October.

Fifty games into the season, the Cubs believe their strong start is for real. Tucker’s presence is a huge reason the players think this pace is sustainable, and it goes far beyond his numbers. Clearly, the stakes have not become a major distraction.

Tucker fits right in with a group that appreciates football-style film sessions, enjoys talking ball in the dugout and shares information about pitchers between at-bats. Everything hasn’t gone according to plan — the Cubs have three established starting pitchers on the injured list and the bullpen does not have a true closer — yet this team keeps pushing forward.

“Tuck has been awesome with that,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “When I say ‘that,’ I mean just day-to-day excitement about being in the big leagues, having fun with teammates. Confidence. Expectation to win. Expectation to have success. Even though we’ve played well so far, we’ve had some tough losses. And I feel like every day following them, we’ve had a really nice response. Not from some big talk or anything, but just genuine confidence and expectation to play well again the next day.

“That’s what it takes over the course of a long season. It’s having guys who’ve had success and done it before. It’s like that fine line of caring as much as you can, but then it’s also not going to crush you when things go wrong, because you have the confidence to expect success when the next opportunity arises.”

The Cubs are already 10 games above .500, even before the start of Memorial Day weekend. Tucker elevated his team again in Wednesday afternoon’s 2-1 victory over the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park, blasting his 12th home run off the second deck in the first inning and adding the decisive run-scoring single in the eighth.

The fit wasn’t a question when Jed Hoyer’s front office acquired Tucker in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Astros last offseason. But it was fair to wonder how Tucker would respond to the newness of everything — he had spent his entire professional career in Houston’s organization — and how long the adjustment period would last.

After a blazing start, Tucker’s numbers dipped slightly, but the overall production has been fantastic with 14 stolen bases, 35 RBI, 38 runs scored, a .939 OPS and 35 walks against only 27 strikeouts. His deliberate approach sets an example, takes pressure off teammates and ties the offensive game plan together.

“Seeing everyone grind out at-bats just makes you want to go out there and do the same,” Tucker said. “I can hit pitches off the plate — it doesn’t necessarily mean I should swing at them or want to do that. I think if you just have good plate discipline and are able to take those pitches that are close or just off (the plate) and get into better counts, you’ll get better pitches to hit. Or you’ll just draw some walks to keep the line moving.

“If we do it as a whole, 1 through 9 in the lineup, we’ll have a lot of success.”

While Cody Bellinger performed at an MVP level for parts of 2023, and Seiya Suzuki has shown flashes in Chicago, the Cubs haven’t had this type of player since Kris Bryant’s peak nearly a decade ago. Playing against Tucker, Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said, “You know where that guy is at all the time.”

“He’s a force,” Thomson said. “You put him in the middle of the lineup, and the way he uses the field, the way he controls the strike zone, there’s a carryover effect to the rest of the guys.”

Ian Happ is a more effective leadoff man while hitting in front of Tucker. Suzuki is a more dangerous hitter batting after Tucker. Pete Crow-Armstrong is feeding off Tucker’s energy. Dansby Swanson, the $177 million Gold Glove shortstop, can function as more of a complementary player. Younger hitters such as Michael Busch and Miguel Amaya are taking steps forward.

Tucker is supposed to be the fail-safe whenever the 2025 Cubs experience their first four-game losing streak, preventing that from becoming the extended spiral that derailed the last two seasons. The Cubs put together dominant stretches in 2023 and 2024, only to finish with the same 83-79 record each year. The missing element, in the view of the front office and the clubhouse, had been star power.

“Whether or not there’s a superstar in the lineup, everyone wants to do really well,” said Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon, whose time with the New York Yankees included Aaron Judge’s first American League MVP year (2022) as well as Gerrit Cole’s runner-up finish in the 2021 AL Cy Young Award voting. “But there is a breath of fresh air when it’s like, ‘Let him do the heavy lifting.’ And we all fall into place, and everyone can be comfortable in their role.

“If you’re an .800 OPS guy, just be an .800 OPS guy. That’s great. That’s a really good player. You don’t have to shoot to be a 1.000 OPS guy. There’s definitely some value there, too, (with) Seiya. When Seiya’s right, they have real star power on the offensive side. And that makes Ian better. And that makes Dansby and Nico better.

“I used to feel it when I pitched behind Gerrit Cole. Even the media stuff — the media wants to talk to Gerrit Cole, not me. I get to just go do my job. They want to talk to Aaron Judge and Gerrit, I get to just show up and do my job. There is something real to that.”

Indeed, Tucker brings credibility to a clubhouse that needed someone who could carry the team and shrink those down periods. The Cubs don’t know what the future holds, and Tucker doesn’t need to rush into any decisions. Letting it play out — over what should be a very entertaining summer in Wrigleyville — could be the way to go.

“The more that you fill a group with guys that have been there, done that,” Swanson said, “the more it helps keep a steady line. Whether it’s good or bad, whether it’s a tough loss or a really big win, it’s just this ability to always come back to the center line. And understand the balance of fun, but also the job component.

“Guys are enjoying being here. That can infiltrate a group and really make a difference.”

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