What seems like many many years ago now, the Chicago Cubs had one of the top teams in Major League Baseball with Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez, and many others.
Fortunately, the Cubs won a World Series, ending a drought that every Chicago fan wanted in 2016.
Bryant, especially, was a big factor in that. He was one of the top players in Major League Baseball during his time with the Cubs, winning an MVP award during that 2016 campaign with a 146 OPS+ and 39 home runs.
It’s tough to say that any player will ever be as loved as Bryant in Chicago, but Kyle Tucker has the chance to do it. He also drew a comparison to the former Cubs star from Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, who wrote that the Cubs haven’t had this type of player since Bryant peaked nearly a decade ago.
Cubs vs. Marlins Highlights
“While Cody Bellinger performed at an MVP level for parts of 2023, and Seiya Suzuki has shown flashes in Chicago, the Cubs haven’t had this type of player since Kris Bryant’s peak nearly a decade ago,” he wrote.
The two were completely different players, but it wouldn’t be unfair to suggest that Tucker is a better overall player.
While Bryant was excellent during his career, Tucker has been as good as it gets in Chicago and during his first seven years with the Houston Astros.
He has a 164 OPS+ with 12 home runs through 230 plate appearances, making him one of the top five players in Major League Baseball again.
If it ends in a World Series like it did with Bryant, he’ll be remembered forever, too.
