Cubs All-Star Slugger Has One of the Most Extreme Pull-Swings in Baseball

The Chicago Cubs were on the lookout for an offensive upgrade this offseason and landed on right fielder Kyle Tucker.

They completed a blockbuster trade with the Houston Astros over the winter, acquiring the three-time All-Star in exchange for third baseman Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and star prospect Cam Smith.

Expectations were high with Tucker being the new anchor of the lineup. He is relied upon to set the tone for the rest of his teammates to follow, and to this point, he has successfully done that.

Through 229 plate appearances, he is producing like an MVP with a .278/.387/.552 slash line to go along with an OPS+ of 156 and 1.9 WAR.

Tucker has hit 12 home runs, nine doubles and four triples with 35 RBI and 14 stolen bases. He gets the job done in every facet offensively, doing whatever the situation calls for and excelling to the highest level.

His presence is a major reason why the team’s offense has taken off, averaging 5.94 runs per game entering Wednesday, which was the most in baseball.

He isn’t alone, with center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong breaking out and being in the early MVP discussion himself.

When it comes to Tucker, one of the reasons why he is so successful is that he goes to the plate with a clear goal in mind and executes it more often than not.

What Makes Kyle Tucker Such a Dangerous Power Hitter?

His goal is to pull the ball and hit it in the air, increasing his odds of launching a home run.

He has tailored his swing to accomplish that, having one of the most extreme “pull” attack positions when he unleashes his gorgeous left-handed swing, per MLB.com.

His 36.6% fly ball rate, per Baseball Reference, is well above the league average of 24.9%. The same goes for his pull percentage of 42.1%, which is well above the norm of 29.4%.

That culminates in an elite 29.9% pull air percentage, per Baseball Savant.

Outside of his rookie campaign, Tucker has been well above average in pulling the ball in the air, leading to some impressive power numbers and a 162-game average of 32 home runs and 34 doubles.

The approach is working, with Tucker being one of the most productive hitters in baseball this year.

His Batting Run Value of +15 is in the 97th percentile, with the rest of his Baseball Savant page being as red as the team would have hoped for.

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