What's behind Kyle Tucker's endless Dodgers struggles? One source weighs in

One of the biggest mysteries in all of baseball this season has been the drop off of outfielder Kyle Tucker in his first year with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tucker signed a massive four-year, $240 million deal with the Dodgers in the offseason, but has not lived up to expectations in 2026.

So what has been going on with Tucker this season? Why has he struggled so much on a star studded roster in LA?

One source close to the situation tells FanSided that it comes down to a lack of comfort in a primetime environment for Tucker.

"Outside of (Shohei) Ohtani and (Yoshinobu) Yamamoto, there's been a year where players move to LA and struggle to adjust to the environment," the source said. "(It's an) adjustment period in the first year.

"My gut feeling is that he's going to come up big in the playoffs because he plays better when the lights are at their brightest."

Kyle Tucker having trouble adjusting with Dodgers

Tucker helped the Houston Astros win a World Series title back in 2022. For his postseason career, he has a .233/.317/.376 line, but those nine home runs and 29 RBI in 72 games in October have been impactful.

The 29-year-old made the All-Star team in four consecutive seasons from 2022-2025 and holds a career .838 OPS. He was a superstar and the best hitter on the free agent market last winter. Given his track record, there's a possibility that Tucker bounces back, which he is expected to do. In fact, fans are expecting the postseason his redemption opportunity.

Entering play on Friday, Tucker has a .225/.325/.352 line, a .677 OPS, 11 homers, 58 RBI and a -0.2 bWAR in 132 games this season.

Cody Bellinger's Dodgers stint could be similar to Kyle Tucker's

The source I spoke with compared Tucker to Cody Bellinger, who had two down years in a row with the Dodgers before being non-tendered in the 2022-2023 offseason. He has since come back to become an All-Star caliber player again, first for the Chicago Cubs and now for the New York Yankees.

"I fully expect Tucker to have a .900 OPS next year," the source said. "You come into that much money and you have to learn L.A., it takes time to adjust.

"The light shines a little brighter in L.A., and I think (Tucker's) going to be better for it."

The Dodgers need Tucker to step up down the stretch of the season and in the playoffs with Ohtani limited due to injuries. If Tucker can revert back to All-Star form and help the Dodgers push for a three-peat, fans will forget all about his horrific regular season performance.

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