The Los Angeles Dodgers swooped in during the offseason to sign Kyle Tucker.

The first thought everyone had was about how it impacted their already potent lineup. And yes, the batting order is even scarier now.

But Tucker has also impacted things in another way: defense.

Tucker was a Gold Glove winner in 2022, but he hasn’t quite lived up to that level since.

In his early days with the Dodgers, Tucker looks more like his old self on that side of the ball.

“L.A. believes that he could have another Gold Glove in him, and Tucker has bought into that idea,” MLB.com’s Sonja Chen wrote in a new article. “Tucker already has two outfield assists this season. He had five total outfield assists in 2025. He also showed that he’s comfortable with the dimensions of his new home ballpark by nonchalantly taking away a potential homer on Saturday. For all the talk of how Tucker lengthens the Dodgers’ lineup, his impact on the team’s defense may be just as significant.”

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Defense is a skill that is rarely factored in by the casual fan when a star signs somewhere in free agency. Almost every hitter that becomes a star does so because of work on the offensive side of the game.

It’s not that defense isn’t important. But the numbers aren’t always as easy to track, and aside from the occasional flash play, it’s especially tough for an outfielder to draw attention on defense.

For Tucker in the early going, though, it appears that is something he’s wanted to do a good job at, and that’s just another way he can help the Dodgers win a lot of baseball games.

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