Chicago Cubs: Alex Bregman finding a balance, not being Kyle Tucker

When the Chicago Cubs made their successful 5-year, $175 million play for free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, they knew exactly what they were looking for.

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They were looking for someone who could at least somewhat fill the offensive shoes of outgoing right fielder Kyle Tucker while also providing the intangibles that Tucker couldn’t/wouldn’t provide.

In the three-time All-Star, they got a bat that could have impact, but they also got an elite-level defender and established clubhouse leader, as well as a true student of the game. While offense is always a consideration, the Cubs envisioned Bregman as a cornerstone foundation piece to a future winning atmosphere as many of the team’s core veterans could be leaving for free agency at the end of this 2026 season.

So far, the offensive numbers as a whole haven’t been there. He’s hitting just .213 on the season with 2 home runs, although he’s been picking things up (7-for-21 in his last 5 games). However, he did manage to generate some headlines with a wild stat early in the season—in the first 147 pitches he saw this year, he only swung at 2 outside the strike zone.

Bregman finding a balance

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Since then, the veteran has been trying to strike a balance between careful pitch selection and aggression. It’s been an internal struggle noted recently by Ken Rosenthal of The Atlantic.

Per Rosenthal:

“Through seven games, Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman had a 3.1 percent chase rate and 31.3 percent swing rate, both unusually low. Bregman through Saturday had raised those rates to 13.2 percent and 37.5 percent, respectively. He wanted to be more aggressive than he was initially, but said it’s a fine line.

If Bregman gets too aggressive, his knack for making contact on even pitches outside the zone will lead to too many easy outs. So, Bregman only wants to swing at pitches on which he can do damage. Wrigley Field, though, presents another variable. On days when the wind is blowing in, Bregman knows he will need to settle for singles and walks.”

Bregman vs. Tucker

Bregman is really just being Bregman—an analytical perfectionist driven by the compulsion to win and to make himself better in the process. When all is said and done, the Cubs fully expect him to be an overall more valuable asset than Tucker was last season.

David Adler of MLB.com assessed the two players as “different but equal” in a 2026 projection piece written in late January:

“Despite being very different types of players, Tucker and Bregman are back to back in Steamer’s WAR projections. Tucker’s skill is pure hitting — he’s projected to be a top-10 bat in the Majors by his 139 wRC+. But Bregman is also a good bat, with a 121 wRC+ projection, and his solid defense at third base makes up the gap.”

Tucker, by the way, is hitting .246 with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs with the Los Angeles Dodgers so far this season.

There’s no indication at all the Cubs are unhappy about the free agent swap.

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