Chicago Cubs Mike Tuckman (33), formerly of the Hanwha Eagles, has continued to perform well in the major leagues.
Tuckman went 1-for-3 with a walk, a hit 메이저놀이터, a stolen base, and a run scored in the Cubs’ game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California, on Aug. 8 (KST).
Last season with Hanwha, Tuckman batted .258 (166-for-575) with 12 home runs, 43 RBI, 88 runs scored, 19 stolen bases and a .795 OPS in 144 games. While his overall numbers weren’t bad, his power was a bit lackluster for a foreign hitter, and his contract talks with Hanwha fell through.
After failing to re-sign with Hanwha, Tuckman returned to the United States, signing a minor league contract with the Cubs. He started the season in the minors after a respectable 21-game exhibition season in which he batted 2-for-5 with one home run, four RBIs, and a .754 OPS in 40 at-bats.
After hitting well in 24 games at Triple-A, going 2-for-7 (22-for-79) with three home runs, 15 RBIs and an .870 OPS, Tuckman got his chance to play in the big leagues when Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger was injured. Tuckman was promoted to the majors on March 20 and has since settled into the Cubs outfield, batting 2-for-9 with 13 doubles, six RBIs and a .747 OPS in 44 at-bats in 17 games.
As Tuckman continues to perform well in the major leagues, it’s hard not to feel a little bit sad that Hanwha missed out on him. This is especially true after Brian O’Grady, who was acquired in exchange for Tuckman, was released after an abysmal 22-game stretch in which he batted 1-for-5 with 10 RBIs and an OPS of .337 in 80 at-bats.
After releasing O’Grady, Hanwha will be looking for a new outfielder. However, it’s still early in the season, and the major leagues have been slow to release players with potential, so it’s not easy to find someone they’re happy with. Tuckman is also a starting center fielder in the majors, so bringing him back is not an option at this point.
As Hanwha’s search for a foreign hitter deepens, the wait for fans to find out who they will bring back is getting longer.