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Cubs News

Kyle Tucker lauds Cubs fans, says he loves playing at Wrigley Field

7 months agoZoe Grossman

Kyle Tucker often is a man of few words, but he has nothing but good things to say about what it’s like to be a Chicago Cub.

Tucker joined Marquee Sports Network’s Cole Wright and Cliff Floyd on “Cubs Live!” before Friday’s game to discuss his first few months in Chicago and what he’s loved most about playing on the North Side.

Tucker’s excitement was on full display after Matt Shaw’s single walked off the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night. A clip from the on-field celebrations showed Tucker jubilantly galloping toward his teammates with his hands in the air before he embraced Carson Kelly.

Reacting to the clip on the show, Tucker smiled widely.

“Playing here at Wrigley definitely helps,” Tucker said before laughing at his own antics on screen. “It’s fun — not everyone gets to do what we do out here on a daily basis. It’s been a lot of fun playing at Wrigley. Every single game, whether it’s a day game, night game, cold or hot, the fans come out here and provide such a great atmosphere for us to play in.”

Tucker is putting up All-Star-worthy numbers in his first season with the Cubs, slashing .277/.385/.518 with 12 home runs, 39 RBI and a .903 OPS. He’s played in all 57 games so far this season, so he’s fast approaching his 78-game total from last year with the Houston Astros after a shin contusion caused him to miss much of June through September.

Now Tucker is feeling healthy, and there are numbers to prove it: He has stolen 15 bases this season and hasn’t been caught once. He’s the only player in the top 10 on MLB’s stolen base leaderboard to have converted 100 percent of his attempts.

“I just try to get good jumps and try to pick out my spots,” Tucker said. “I’m not the fastest guy in the league — I wish I could run like [Pete Crow-Armstrong], and just take off whenever I felt like it.”

[READ: Jed Hoyer admires Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker star power]

Tucker and Crow-Armstrong have formed a 1-2 star-power punch in the Cubs’ lineup this season. When Tucker first joined the team, he talked mechanics with his younger teammate, who so far this season is slashing .274/.303/.562 with 15 homers, 50 RBI and 16 stolen bases.

“Obviously, he had a great spring training, and he carried that over into the year. I think he’s doing a pretty good job with that, and he probably doesn’t need me much anymore,” Tucker said with a laugh. “He’s been a phenomenal player for us this year — he’s carried the team a good amount so far, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.”

Crow-Armstrong and Tucker aren’t the only Cubs who bounce things off each other, Tucker said. Everyone is committed to making each other better baseball players.

“If any guys need help, anyone is here [to do that],” Tucker said. “We’re trying to make everyone better, because we’re all out here trying to win a game.”

Watch the full exclusive Tucker interview only on the Marquee Sports Network app.