The Los Angeles Dodgers splashed in free agency Thursday, signing All-Star free agent Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million deal.
The team is still yet to officially announce the signing and hold their introductory press conference with the outfielder, but there’s still plenty to learn about L.A.’s newest addition.
With the Dodgers’ announcement imminent, here are five fun facts about their newest outfielder.
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Tucker’s Favorite Games Growing Up Were NBA2K and Halo
The four-time All-Star revealed neither of the favorite games from his childhood revolved around baseball.
In an “Ask Me Anything” thread on reddit.com’s r/baseball, Tucker named the NBA2K and Halo franchises as his favorites while growing up. Both franchises kicked off during Tucker’s adolescence and are still wildly popular, so it’s no wonder he took interest.
Tucker Earned the Nickname Ted Due to His Comparisons With Ted Williams
Tucker has long drawn comparisons to Hall of Famer Ted Williams, even being cast to play the legendary player in a movie. His high school coach also revealed he earned a nickname due to the comparisons.
“They started nicknaming him Ted Williams,” Braun said. “That stuck for a while.”
Both players are left-handed and have smooth swings, and Tucker’s power is most definitely there.
Tucker Can Dunk a Basketball, but Chooses Not to
In the same “Ask Me Anything” thread from earlier, Tucker had a brief answer when asked if he can dunk a basketball.
“of course,” he wrote via the MLBOfficial account. “But I can’t be doing that anymore”
He also revealed former teammate Chas McCormick was the best basketball player on the Astros.
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Tucker Learned to Hit Lefties by Playing Waffle Ball Against His Brother
Before Kyle Tucker began tearing up lefties in MLB, he faced his brother, Preston, in the backyard.
“We would play Wiffle ball out in the back yard growing up,” Tucker said. “He’s about six years older than me and more mature when we were younger so he would be humming it in there. I would always hit and he loves the pitching part of it so I would always face him. Him being a lefty, I feel like a Wiffle ball moves a lot more than a baseball, so I feel like that kind of helped me out in the baseball world and potentially off lefties.”
Tucker’s play against his brother clearly paid off, as he had great numbers against southpaws in 2025. He posted a .826 OPS through 167 at-bats, and hit eight of his 22 homers against left-handed pitching.
Tucker Owns a Foundation Aimed at Bringing Awareness and Supporting Hospice Care
On top of his baseball ability, Tucker has made significant contributions to hospice care off the field. He founded the Kyle Tucker Foundation, which “raises awareness and provides support for hospice care programs, while also giving back to other meaningful causes in the community.”
For his contributions off the field, Tucker has been nominated for the Roberto Clemente reward on two occasions — in 2024 and 2025.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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