Dodgers’ Kyle Tucker Starting to Live up to $240M Price Tag
After a sluggish start to the 2026 season, Kyle Tucker is finally finding his rhythm with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Discover how the $240M star turned his season around in May.
Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker had a strong game at the plate against the San Francisco Giants Wednesday night, a remarkable turnaround from his slow start to the season. On Wednesday, he was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and run scored, a performance that exemplifies his upward trend as the season as gone on. Kyle Tucker struggled in March and early April Tucker entered the 2026 season with high expectations.
After all, the Boys in Blue thought he was worth a four-year, $240 million contract, the h ighest salary in the league on a per-year basis (excluding teammate Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract, much of which will come in deferred payments). With big money comes pressure, though, and initially, it appeared Tucker was struggling. Through the first six games, his average was .
174. Apr 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker runs the bases after hitting a home run in the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images He had five hits over the next two games, then cooled off again.
Aside from a three-hit game on April 18, he struggled to get his batting average above . 250 between April 11 and May 8. FanGraphs’ visualization of his hitting through the first quarter of the season shows the volatility that can be expected at the start of the year, but the consistency that has developed since then belies a steady improvement.