The New York Yankees added Cody Bellinger last offseason, and he had a solid season with the team. He is expected to hit free agency after opting out of his contract.
Brian Cashman has already expressed a desire to bring Bellinger back to the team. However, he is not the only star outfielder slated to be available on the open market. Kyle Tucker will also be a free agent and may actually be a better fit.
Tucker’s suitors will be limited thanks to his price tag. However, the Yankees are one of the teams that may be able to afford him, and with that comes a decision. Should the team go after Tucker or be content with Bellinger and bring him back? Yankees insider Chris Kirschner thinks Tucker will be a better fit for the Yankees than Bellinger in the long run.
Kirschner tabbed Tucker’s strikeout rate as a reason the Yankees should choose Tucker over Bellinger. Bellinger’s strikeout rate was better than Tucker’s this year, but Tucker has been better over the last five seasons overall. However, that is not the only reason.
“In addition to not striking out much, Tucker’s contact quality far exceeds Bellinger’s,” wrote Kirschner. “Even if we remove the two seasons in which Bellinger struggled with the Dodgers, Tucker’s barrel percentage is 11 percent over the past three seasons, while Bellinger’s is 6.7 percent. Bellinger’s xwOBA, a metric that measures contact quality, is .321 during that span compared to Tucker’s .388.
“As they age, Tucker’s offensive profile is less risky than Bellinger’s. Outside of 2025, a down year by his standards, Tucker hasn’t had difficulty hitting the ball hard, while Bellinger has only one season in the past five years in which he ranked in the top half of the league in average exit velocity. Bellinger outperforms his metrics because he can pull the ball, which maximizes any hitter’s production. But Tucker has a higher pull percentage than Bellinger and hits the ball harder, meaning he would benefit greatly as a left-handed hitter playing half his games at Yankee Stadium.”
Tucker figures to fetch a deal north of $400 million. He is younger than Bellinger and has been more consistent over the last five years. Going after Tucker would cost the Yankees greatly, but pairing him and Judge could give the Yankees a great duo for years to come. Tucker could be the running mate the Yankees hoped for when they acquired Soto. Tucker has hit 134 home runs since 2021 and is ready to cash in.
Tucker had a down year, but his numbers on the road are much better than his numbers at Wrigley Field. He could experience a surge like Bellinger did when leaving Wrigley Field for Yankee Stadium.
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