Baseball's Best Kept Secret

Something has caught my attention recently and deserves some coverage. It’s the ability of the Houston Astros to keep Kyle Tucker baseballs best kept secret. My co-host @skippsviewdean asked me on the podcast the other day “Where do you think Kyle Tucker is currently ranked in Fantasy Baseball?”. I responded with an atrocity of a guess, which was way off. Turns out he was ranked 8th at that time, and I was in shock. Even though I have Tucker on one of my fantasy teams, I didn’t realize how good he was doing this year. Truth be told, I am a huge Kyle Tucker fan but failed to take notice of how impressive his performance has been over the last three plus seasons. 

When people think of the Houston Astros almost no one mentions the name Kyle Tucker. Yet, since 2021 he is a 2x-time All-Star, has 2x Top 20 MVP Finishes, 2x All-MLB Second Team Selection, Gold Glove Award and a World Series Ring. Did I mention he is only 26 years old? 

Tucker has been a staple for the Houston lineup since 2020 where he really started to make a name for himself, leading the league in triples (6). Although 2020 was a shortened season, Tucker managed to hit 9 HR’s, 42 RBI’s and have 56 hits in 58 games…imagine he played a full season? Tucker is well on his way to his 3rd season in a row with 30+ HR’s, 90+ RBI’s and 14+ SB’s and probably would have been 4 in a row had 2020 not been shortened. He has clearly proven with both the bat and glove that he is a real player.

My point here is plain and simple, Tucker may be the most underappreciated player in all of baseball. He is just entering his prime and is on one of the best teams in the majors. The wild thing is, he is only getting better. 

2023:

360 AB | 109 H | 17 HR | .303 BA | 56 R | 68 RBI | 18 SB | .384 OBP | .514 SLG | .898 OPS

Career:

1750 AB | 481 H | 90 HR | .275 BA | 268 R | 324 RBI | 71 SB | .345 OBP | .505 SLG | .850 OPS

)Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith) (APMedia)