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Dream Astros starting lineup for the 2024 season
By Eric Cole
Batting sixth in the dream 2024 Astros lineup, Kyle Tucker in RF
Having Kyle Tucker batting this low in the Astros' lineup is more an indication of how loaded this lineup is than anything else, but it is still pretty wild when you think about it. The guy nearly got a 30/30 season in 2023 with an .886 OPS and 5.4 rWAR, so having him at the sixth spot doesn't look quite right on the surface.
There are some reasons for the decision, though. One, he is very clearly the next best lefty bat option available and batting him any lower than this feels criminal. Second, he isn't typically a high OBP guy which isn't exactly what you want in the top half of the order if one can help it. He is still a tremendously valuable hitter, though, and he should be able to do some damage in the six spot.
One problem with Kyle that is hard to shake is how the 2023 season ended for him. In addition to his truly abysmal performance in the playoffs where he posted just a .517 OPS in 11 games, he didn't play at his best in August or September as well. He was still good, but consider this a hedge against the possibility that either something isn't quite right with him or that the league has figured out how to make him a slightly easier out.