Dodgers’ Alex Call, Ryan Ward platoon is making Kyle Tucker’s deal look even worse

The Los Angeles Dodgers don't have much to complain about these days. When you have the highest payroll in baseball AND can afford to cover for those mistakes, it's a blessing in disguise. However, don't tell Dodgers fans that. High-priced offseason addition Kyle Tucker has not played up to his contract so far. There's no denying it, and Dodgers fans are letting Tucker hear it.

Tucker has just a .724 OPS this season. That number has steadily improved this week, thanks to three Tucker hits in seven at-bats during a possible World Series preview against the Tampa Bay Rays.

A four-game hit streak doesn't make up for Tucker's shortcomings through two-plus months of regular-season play, though, and at some point the $240 million man is going to have to start playing up to his deal. The numbers aren't in his favor.

Dodgers platoon has outperformed Kyle Tucker

The sample size is large enough to talk about. Through 139 plate appearances, the Dodgers left field platoon of Alex Call and Ryan Ward have a higher OPS than Tucker.

When the Dodgers acquired Tucker, they did so under the assumption that Teoscar Hernandez would play left field. Obviously, that hasn't fully come to fruition, after Hernandez was placed on the 60-day injured list with a hamstring injury. In a way the Dodgers have lucked out. By being forced to play their reinforcements, the Dodgers found a suitable backup plan not just for Hernandez, but Tucker should he need some days off.

As Fabian Ardaya wrote earlier this week, the Dodgers are built to absorb both injuries and on-field struggles from their star players. The hope is that when the Dodgers need Tucker most — which is October, let's be real — he will finally start to play like the outfielder Andrew Friedman thought he was acquiring. For now, it's not a must, as frustrating as that may be for Dodgers fans used to receiving the immediate payout for high-priced investments.

What's wrong with Kyle Tucker in his first season with the Dodgers?

The reason behind Tucker's struggles is actually pretty simple. When he was thriving with the Houston Astros, Tucker thrived at putting barrels on balls. Per Pitcher List, during his final seasons in Houston, Tucker finished in the 78th, 70th, and 68th percentile in barrel rate.

That simply hasn't been the case with the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, as he's in the 24th percentile so far this season. In Chicago, Tucker had already started to experience some of that precipitous drop. He’s gone from a 10.8% barrel rate last season to a 5.2% barrel rate this season.

Tucker has never been one to voice his opinion, so it's tough to tell if he's feeling the weight of his contract and playing in Los Angeles. For one, he has a fierce defender in Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

“He’s not a very talkative person, but I will say that he, the last few weeks, he’s really opened up with his teammates, with the coaches, and I think he’s freeing himself up, being more comfortable,” Roberts said. “But he cares. He’s working hard, trying his tail off, and he was frustrated, obviously, during the last homestand. So to get back to feeling like you’ve got a fighting chance, I think he’s in a better head space.”

No one is questioning Tucker's effort or his willingness to adjust on the fly. Eventually, Dodgers fans need to see results.

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