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Who Should Represent Houston Astros at 2023 Home Run Derby?
Kyle Tucker isn’t having his best season at the plate from a power standpoint. But if the All-Star Game’s Home Run Derby were held today, Tucker might be the Houston Astros’ best shot at a representative.
At least that’s how MLB.com sees it. The site recently put together a candidate for the Home Run Derby and Tucker made the cut.
Tucker has hit 30 home runs in back-to-back seasons — 2021 and 2022. This season, Tucker only had nine home runs, but his batting average is up more than 30 points from last season.
Why Tucker? Well, the Astros’ top home run hitter, Yordan Alvarez, is injured, per MLB.com:
With Yordan Alvarez on the injured list, Tucker’s the next logical choice. It would be quite the irony if the perpetually underappreciated Tucker got grand exposure like this in the midst of what’s been a slightly subpar season for him.
Alvarez has 17 home runs this season, which leads the Astros and is one of the best totals in the American League. But, with him out for the next month, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to participate in the All-Star Game and related activities.
But, if Tucker has a surge in the next couple of weeks, perhaps he can participate? We’ll have to see.
No Houston Astros player has won the Home Run Derby dating back to 1985. Lance Berkman is the only Astros player to participate, doing so four times from 2002-08 He finished second in 2004.
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