In the past 21 games, Kyle Tucker has seen a sharp decline in his hitting performance, leaving Chicago Cubs fans concerned about his prolonged hitting slump. As of July 8, Tucker maintained a batting average of .286 and an OPS of .906, but his numbers have steadily worsened since then, with a noticeable drop in his power-hitting capabilities.
During this slump spanning 92 plate appearances, Tucker has recorded just three doubles and a single home run, resulting in a batting average of .205 and an OPS of .643. This downturn has been perplexing for Tucker himself, who cannot pinpoint the mechanical issues behind his struggles.
I feel fine. I don’t really know, mechanically, what potentially could be the issue,
Tucker said.
I feel like I’m still swinging at pitches I want and taking ones I don’t want to swing at. Pitches over the plate, I just end up fouling off, or might swing and miss at times. Then I just end up getting worse counts.
Impact of Finger Injury and Tucker’s View on His Slump
Some analysts have suggested that a finger injury sustained by Tucker in early June might be affecting his performance, but the outfielder dismisses this as a primary cause. Instead, he attributes much of his lack of success to misfortune on the field rather than physical limitations.
I normally hit the ball in the air a lot, and I hit it pretty hard when I do,
Tucker explained.
Obviously haven’t been doing that a lot. I have a handful of extra-base hits the last month-and-a-half or whatever. Some of those at-bats, I’ve hit some hard singles just right at the center fielder, right at the right fielder. Didn’t get in the gap or down the line.
Cubs’ Overall Performance Wanes Since Early June
The struggles of Kyle Tucker have coincided with a broader decline in the Chicago Cubs’ offensive and competitive performance. On June 6, the team was collectively batting .262 with an OPS of .780; however, those figures have dropped to a .243 batting average with a .741 OPS since then.
The Cubs’ record highlights this downturn as well, showing a 27-24 run since June 6, which is significantly lower than their strong 40-24 start to the season. Despite this slump, Tucker remains firm on the need for perseverance both individually and as a team.
Just doing the best I can. Gotta grind through it,
Tucker stated. He added,
That’s just kind of how baseball goes sometimes, just kind of trying to ride the wave as best you can and try and figure it out and turn around as fast as possible.
General Manager Comments on Team’s Regression and Future Outlook
Chicago Cubs General Manager Jed Hoyer echoed the idea that slumps like Tucker’s are partly due to the unpredictable nature of baseball, framing the recent downturn as a natural regression after an exceptional start to the season.
Hoyer acknowledged, It’s baseball. What we were doing for the first two months — while unbelievably fun — I think at some level, you kind of knew that wasn’t sustainable. I mean, you look at all the underlying numbers, we were gonna have some regression.
I actually think now we’re due for the opposite. When you look at our numbers over the last like nine weeks or so, I think we’re due for some of these guys to come out of their slumps. So I try to be pretty balanced about it.
Implications of the Slump for the Cubs Moving Forward
Kyle Tucker’s prolonged hitting slump has become a significant concern for both fans and the team, especially given his impact as a key player. While his recent performance drop has coincided with the Cubs’ overall offensive struggles, both Tucker and management remain cautiously optimistic about a rebound.
The current stretch serves as a reminder of the cyclical nature of the sport, where peaks are often followed by valleys, and perseverance is critical. As Tucker continues to analyze his approach and the Cubs work to regain their early-season form, fans will be watching closely to see if the star outfielder can reclaim his power and help spark a turnaround in the team’s fortunes.