Kyle Tucker

BIOGRAPHY

Kyle Tucker was born January 17, 1997, in Tampa, Florida. He is an outfielder in the MLB.

Tucker began the 2018 season with the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. After he batted .306 in 80 games, the Astros promoted him to the major leagues on July 7.

Tucker spent the 2019 minor league season with the Round Rock Express, hitting .266/.350/.555/.905 with 34 home runs, 97 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases. Tucker was promoted to the Astros on September 2. In 2019 with the Astros he batted .269/.319/.537 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 67 at-bats, while stealing five bases without being caught.

In 2020 he batted .268/.325/.512 with 6 triples (leading the AL), 9 home runs, and 42 RBIs in 209 at-bats, and stole 8 bases while being caught once.

With his 30th home run on October 3, 2021, he became the third Astro to have 30 home runs hit in one season before turning 25. In Game 4 of the 2021 American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox on October 12, he stole second and third base in the fourth inning to become the first Astro to steal two bases in the same inning of a postseason game.

At Fenway Park on May 17, 2022, Tucker tied his career high of six RBI, including hitting one of five home runs in the second inning versus Nathan Eovaldi of the Boston Red Sox, tying the major league record for a team in one inning. In the fourth inning, he added a grand slam. While playing the Chicago White Sox on June 17, 2022, Tucker extended a career-high hitting streak to 15 games. He was named as a reserve outfielder to the MLB All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, his first career selection. At the time, Tucker batted .259 with 16 home runs, ranked fourth in the AL in RBI (58) and tied for fifth in steals (14). He garnered 10 Defensive Runs Saved, per Fangraphs, tied with Brett Phillips for the lead among AL outfielders. During the season, he became the seventh player in MLB history to steal 40 bases and hit 60 home runs in his first 350 games, doing so in his 329th game in the majors.

In 2022 he batted .257/.330/.478 in 544 at bats. He swung at a higher percentage of pitches in the strike zone (84.0%) than any other major league batter. He played 147 games in right field, and three at DH. He received nomination for the AL Silver Slugger Award in right field.

In Game 1 of the 2022 World Series, Tucker hit consecutive home runs versus Aaron Nola, becoming the first Astros player with multiple home runs in a World Series game. 

The Astros defeated the Phillies in six games to give Tucker his first World Series title.

Through his 13 defensive runs saved, Tucker was awarded the AL 2022 Gold Glove Award for his play in right field. He became the third Astro to win a Gold Glove as an outfielder, and the first since 2010.