Married Marvel — Kyle Tucker Is Turning His Newlywed Season Into an MVP Season With Every Patient Astros At-Bat

Kyle Tucker is hotter than a Houstonian trying to make sense of a CenterPoint outage map, hotter than a Tyson Fury doubter. The best pitchers in the world cannot figure out how to keep him in the ballpark and the chants of “MVP! MVP!” that accompany his every move late in the Houston Astros’ bounce back 6-5 10th inning win over the Angels on this Tuesday night only figure to get louder as summer settles into Minute Maid Park. Tucker, maybe the most laid-back terrorizing hitter in Major League Baseball history, largely shrugs off his success. But maybe his marriage to his longtime girlfriend Samantha Scott deserves some of the credit.

The significant others of male athletes have been ignorantly blamed for the athletes’ poor performances forever. It’s sadly a common thing and everyone from Jessica Simpson (Tony Romo) to Lindsey Vonn (Tiger Woods) to Shailene Woodley (Aaron Rodgers) have been put through it over the years. Despite being highly accomplished people themselves.

So why shouldn’t Samantha Tucker get some of the praise? And not in some idiot kicker condescending Harrison Butker way.

One thing’s certain. This newly married (he and Samantha wed this offseason) Kyle Tucker is reaching another level, becoming the hitter that absolutely no one wants to face. Tucker clubs two more home runs on this night, pushing his now MLB leading total to 17. He already has four multi home run games after 49 games this season. He did that three times total in his first six MLB seasons combined.

Yes, married life certainly seems to agree with Kyle Tucker. Along with a more selective approach at the plate and a tweaked swing that produces more fly balls, of course. Espada’s decision to move Tucker to hitting second in the lineup suddenly seems a little inspired too.

“I don’t know,” Tucker says when I ask if this particular run feels different. “I just try to put together good at-bats and see where it goes. You’re going to have good days. Bad days. Good at-bats. Bad at-bats. Just try and do your best up there and I just try to put up good swings and put together competitive at-bats.”

No one is stringing together more good at-bats in baseball these days than Kyle Tucker. Outside of Shohei Ohtani. Yes, Tucker is entering a new rarefied air. Going from an elite all-star player to one of the single best players in the sport is one of the harder leaps to make. But Tucker’s doing it.

“Every time he comes to the plate, you’re just expecting him to do something awesome,” first year Astros manager Joe Espada says. “He is doing stuff that. . . only a few players can do what he’s doing. He’s definitely one of the best players in this league.

“And he’s really picking us up right now.”

“Physically, there’s a difference. But other than that, Tucker’s the same guy. Comes to the ballpark. Does his job. And lets the chips fall where they may.” — Astros first baseman Jon Singleton on Kyle Tucker

The Offseason Marriage and Summer of King Tuck

No matter what happens with these Astros who are still five games under .500 (22-27) even with this hot stretch, Kyle Tucker is already cementing himself as a summer must watch, a compelling reason to come out to Minute Maid. He’s on a 50 home run pace. And with Yordan Alvarez (four hits in the last two games, including a home run of his own on this night) showing signs of heating up behind him, the best could be still to come for Tucker.

At a minimum, Jeff Bagwell’s franchise record of 47 home runs in a season already seems to be on the clock.

“That’s cool,” Tucker says when asked about that 50 home run pace. “There’s little over four months left. A lot of games. So it’d be cool to have that or more. But at the same time, I’m just trying to put together good at-bats and see where it goes.”

OK, Charles Barkley he’s not. OpenAI will not be trying to steal Kyle Tucker’s voice inflections, a la Scarlett Johansson. But you get the idea that Kyle Tucker isn’t being bland in interviews just to be bland and as completely non-controversial as possible. No, Tucker really just seems to be this chill.

About mashing home runs. About being one of the single best players in baseball. About. . . well. almost everything.

“Physically, there’s a difference,” Astros first baseman Jon Singleton says when I ask him about the difference in Kyle Tucker this season. “But other than that, Tucker’s the same guy. Comes to the ballpark. Does his job. And lets the chips fall where they may. He’s off to an extremely hot start.”

One that seems to be anything but fluky.

“I don’t know. I  just try to put together good at-bats and see where it goes. You’re going to have good days. Bad days. Good at-bats. Bad at-bats. Just try and do your best up there and I just try to put up good swings and put together competitive at-bats.” — Astros star Kyle Tucker

Tucker’s walk rate (nearly 19 percent) is the highest in baseball through this season’s first two months. That speaks to his increasingly selective approach. His fly ball rate has also jumped. Which is reflective of his swing tweaks and that extra muscle on his lanky frame that Singleton references.

Kyle Tucker, who will be a free agent after next season, is turning himself into a $350 million player right before everyone’s eyes. And Houston’s lucky enough to get a front row seat.

“It’s fun to watch,” Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña, who seems to pull off another bit of defensive wizardry every night, says of Tucker. “It’s fun to watch. He’s doing it. I feel like he’s doing it on defense as well.”

While seemingly not overanalyzing it at all. Kyle Tucker ends this game walking off the field and talking to Singleton. He doesn’t even get the postgame TV interview on a night when he hits two home runs and makes a sliding catch in the outfield. Instead that goes to walk-off man Peña, who flares a single into right field with one outs in the bottom of the 10th to send Tucker home from third with the winning run.

That’s the third run Tucker scores in the game. Just another bit of production for a player who is also on pace for a second straight 30 steal season.

Maybe it’s the marriage. Maybe it’s the peak age 27 season thing. Maybe it’s an even more chill, ultra selective approach at the plate. Kyle Tucker isn’t going to spend much time trying to figure it all out. Baseball’s next superstar is just waiting for his next at-bat.