Coming off back-to-back World Series titles, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed the best available free agent in Kyle Tucker last offseason.
Fans were already fed up with the Dodgers' spending, and signing Tucker was received by many as a move that had officially ruined baseball. However, Tucker is not having the season many expected. He is hitting .244 and has just 11 home runs. He was a major power threat for the Houston Astros and saw those numbers decline when he played for the Cubs.
However, his home and away splits indicated that Wrigley Field was the main reason for his woes. He struggled in the second half last year, battinling injuries, and may belived that Los Angeles would be getting a version of him more similar to the one in Houston. That had not been the case until 15 games ago.
The Dodgers are already enough of a nightmare to face without Tucker playing like the four-time All-Star he is, but now he has seemed to break out of his slump that dates back to the All-Star break last year. In his last 15 games, he has a 1.006 OPS with four home runs and eight walks. He has six RBIs in that span as well.
Tucker was a consistent 30-homer threat when the Dodgers signed him, and while he may not hit that number this year, he is starting to look more like that player. He has come up clutch a few times in the last 15 games, and the Dodgers may have the best version of him for October.
Tucker's struggles, Mookie Betts' struggles and a weak bullpen were perhaps filling some National League contenders with hope of upsetting the reigning champions. However, Tucker's turnaround is plenty of reason for other NL teams to worry. He may just be one player, but when he's right, he's one of the best hitters in the game.