2025 Fantasy Baseball: Kyle Tucker Profile, Preview, Predictions
Kyler Tucker may no longer be a member of the Houston Astros but he still has tons of fantasy baseball upside after his recent move to the Chicago Cubs. Tucker is a clear top-five outfielder entering the 2025 fantasy baseball season.
Kyle Tucker is introduced at Cubs Con, and fans sing 'Happy Birthday' 🎂🥳 pic.twitter.com/HO0SvqPb8R
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) January 18, 2025
Kyle Tucker, CHC (ADP – 8.0)
From 2021 to 2023, Tucker developed into a top run-producer (311 RBIs) with a high floor in home runs (30, 30, and 29), supported by strength in his average hit rate (1.856). His stolen base output has risen yearly in the majors until 2024 (injured). In 2023, he played well from June 1st to August 30th (.300 with 59 runs, 19 home runs, 64 RBIs, and 19 steals over 289 at-bats). Houston hit him third, fourth, and fifth in the batting order for 569 of his 574 at-bats.
Last season, Tucker played well over his first 60 games (.266/42/19/40/10 over 214 at-bats), putting him on pace for career highs in runs (108) and home runs (49) with 103 RBIs with 550 at-bats. Over this stretch, he had more walks (46) than strikeouts (41). Unfortunately, what looked like a minor lower leg issue in early June turned into three months on the injury list. His bat shined again over his final 18 games (23-for-63 with 14 runs, four home runs, and nine RBIs), but Tucker only stole one base.
His strikeout rate (15.6) remained in line with his previous three seasons. He finished with an elite walk rate (16.5) while increasing his approach for the fifth consecutive season.
Tucker turned into a beast against left-handed pitching (.300/25/12/47 over 210 at-bats) in 2023 with an excellent approach (22 walks and 28 strikeouts). Last season, he hit .262 vs. lefties with 14 runs, five home runs, 16 RBIs, and three stolen bases over 103 at-bats.
His exit velocity (91.1) and hard-hit rate (44.3) in 2024 fell within range of his career path. Tucker had a spike upward in his fly-ball rate (52.4% - 45.1 in his career). His HR/FB rate (19.5) and launch angle (21.2) were career highs.
Fantasy Outlook: After getting traded to the Cubs in the offseason, Tucker should have the best opportunity of his career to hit in a premium spot in the batting order. His bat and approach continue to improve, and he has a home run-inducing swing path. Chicago stole 143 bases last season compared to 91 by the Houston Astros, a sign that Tucker should run more in 2025. He is on a contract year. His stats in 2022 and 2023 ranked him as a top 10 hitter by FPGscore. Tucker looks poised to set career highs in runs and home runs with plenty of help in batting average, RBIs, and stolen bases. His ADP is in a tight range with Juan Soto and Corbin Carroll in mid-January in the NFBC.
Recommended Articles
Mike Trout Profile, Preview, Predictions
With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.