The Chicago Cubs knew they were taking a risk when they acquired right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros in a blockbuster offseason trade.
It wasn’t cheap, especially when considering that this could be a one-year rental with the three-time All-Star set to hit free agency after the season.
To acquire him, the Cubs traded third baseman Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and star prospect Cam Smith, who has successfully transitioned from third base to take over in right field for Tucker.
Chicago was seeking an upgrade for their lineup, someone who could anchor the group and have his teammates feed off of him.
To this point, that is exactly what Tucker has done, providing the Cubs with everything they could have hoped for and more.
He has performed so well at the plate that he has made some incredible MLB history at the start of his tenure with the franchise.
As shared by OptaSTATS on x, Tucker is the only player in the live-ball era, since 1920, to have at least 60 hits, 40 walks, 25 extra-base hits and 15 stolen bases in under 60 games played with a single team.
He reached all of those plateaus in only 57 games played with Chicago.
As if it wasn’t going to be expensive enough already for the Cubs to retain Tucker, he goes and makes incredible MLB history over the first two months of being with the franchise.
Showcasing the impact he can have when staying healthy, he has put himself in a position for a massive pay day this offseason, with some predicting that he could break the $600 million mark given his combination of age and production.
On the season, Tucker has produced a .284/.394/.524 slash line with 12 home runs, 10 doubles, four triples, 39 RBI and 16 stolen bases.
He and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong both look like legitimate NL MVP candidates with their stellar production across the board.
