Everyone wants Kyle Tucker. But which teams are the best fit?

Players like Kyle Tucker are rarely available in free agency.

He's a five-tool, prime-age talent, who will not turn 29 until the new year. He's also one of the most consistent players in the game. These are his Wins Above Replacement (WAR) totals since 2021, per FanGraphs: 4.9, 4.9, 4.9, 4.2 (limited to 78 games), and 4.5 last season.

Tucker also played through a hairline fracture in his right hand last summer, which sapped some of his underlying power. His overall numbers could have been even better with full health. Yet, he still finished with his third 20-20 season in the last four years along with a 136 wRC+ (100 is league average).

Put this all together and that's why the left-handed slugger ranks as the top free agent available by many analysts, expected to land a contract approaching, or perhaps exceeding, $400 million. Every team, even the reigning champion Dodgers, could benefit by signing Tucker.

• Tracking the latest rumors around Kyle Tucker

But where would he have the greatest impact among plausible suitors? Which club that is expected to have the budget to contend for Tucker would gain the most in adding him? Let's explore, and rank six logical destinations by how good of a fit they would be for Tucker.

1. Yankees

Tucker's whippy, left-handed swing once earned him a role in a Ted Williams documentary due to swing similarities. The swing was also seemingly built in a biomechanical lab for Yankee Stadium.

He's one of the best hitters in the Majors at pulling the ball in the air (22.7% mark for his career versus the MLB average of 16.7%), which is the most valuable batted-ball type in the game. And of course, the dimensions are rarely tighter in the pro game than along the right-field wall at Yankee Stadium.

It's a skill Tucker has improved throughout his career, posting his best mark in 2024 (26.2%) and another top-five mark of his career last season (24.8%). It's also the rare underlying skill that improves with age.

This is all relevant for the Yankees. Since the start of the 2023 season, Yankee Stadium ranks second in home runs and fourth in slugging percentage (.780) in pulled batted balls by left-handed batters. While the Yankees traded for left-handed bats (Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Cody Bellinger) last winter -- Bellinger is now a free agent -- they haven't made a major free-agent investment in a player who fits their ballpark as well as Tucker since, arguably, the Jason Giambi signing in 2002.

Giambi hit 209 home runs for the Yankees, the most by a left-handed hitter this century for the club. And Giambi did not even arrive in New York until his age-31 season.

Tucker could make a similar but more well-rounded impact thanks to his defense and baserunning. He's stolen 119 bases against 16 times being caught in his career. (His 88% success rate trails only Josh Lowe and Byron Buxton among active players at least 80 attempts.)

2. Giants

The Giants have shown a willingness to go big-game hunting in recent offseasons, as serious suitors for Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa, and making an in-season trade for Rafael Devers last season. Devers, like Tucker, is entering his age-29 season.

To close the gap in the NL West, the Giants must add star talent -- especially position player talent.

The Giants' right fielders ranked 27th in wRC+ (83). Tucker would be a major upgrade there. And while Oracle Park suppresses left-handed power, ranking 30th in left-handed pulled home runs since 2023, an elite pull-hitting lefty (see: Bonds, Barry) can give the Giants an edge in a difficult park for left-handed sluggers.

There are few teams with more motivation to add a star.

3. Mets

For Mets fans, it was a brutal few days at this week’s Winter Meetings, as popular stars Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz departed as free agents. But there's one big way to regain the initiative, spark enthusiasm and improve the ballclub, and that is by signing the best free agent on the market for a second consecutive winter, another under-30 star slugger in Tucker.

NL contenders need as much firepower as possible to contend with the Dodgers. The Mets still have to contend with the Braves and Phillies in their division, too. In losing their second-best bat by home runs and wRC+ in Alonso, and third-best in RBIs in Brandon Nimmo, the Mets could use more offensive punch.

The Mets also have a legitimate positional need for Tucker, in the wake of the Nimmo trade. Their outfield depth chart has Tyrone Taylor in center and Jeff McNeil in left field. Those are solid players, certainly, but arguably best fit for utility roles on contenders. And with Alonso gone, that also opens up 600 plate appearances at first base or DH through which to rotate players or fill with major offensive impact.

A prime-aged Tucker and Juan Soto together for years would present problems for the rest of the NL.

4. Blue Jays

Toronto has become an ultra-aggressive club in terms of spending and player acquisition.

Less than a year after agreeing to a franchise-record, $500-million deal with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. the Jays kicked off this Hot Stove season by signing free-agent starter Dylan Cease, arguably the best pitcher in this class, to a club-record deal for a pitcher (7 years, $210 million). Now they are courting Tucker, who reportedly visited the club's state-of-the-art Dunedin, Fla. complex.

While the Jays have a strong position player group that made significant internal improvement a year ago, they could use more left-handed balance. Their left-handed bats combined for a .240/.306/.413 slash line and 99 wRC+ in 2025, ranking 19th in MLB. They also ranked just 23rd in plate appearances by lefties.

Their righty bats, meanwhile, were second in the Majors with a 123 wRC+ (.284/.352/.447 slash line).

In the AL East, the Red Sox, Orioles and Rays could all be stronger than a year ago, too. It's a tough neighborhood. Perhaps the toughest. The Jays are wise to keep trying to improve.

5. Phillies

While the re-signing of Kyle Schwarber might complicate matters, the Phillies are a clear win-now team with a talented but aging core. The Phillies had the second-oldest position player group (30.3 years) after the Dodgers in 2025.

Tucker would give the Phillies the best trio of left-handed hitters in the game along with Bryce Harper and Schwarber. That is especially significant when considering the starting rotations of top NL contenders like the Dodgers, Brewers, Mets, Braves and Padres. At the moment, those clubs feature only six left-handers, combined, in their rotations.

Power -- and platoon advantages -- can matter a great deal in October.

Moreover, since 2023, the Phillies rank last in right field defense by Statcast-based Fielding Run Value (-36), and they rank 29th in Defensive Runs Saved. Tucker, meanwhile, ranks 12th in right field DRS since 2023.

6. Dodgers

Yes, even the back-to-back World Series champions could use Tucker.

While they are seemingly the team with everything, even the Dodgers have needs -- particularly in the outfield. Los Angeles ranked just 20th in outfield WAR, and 21st in combined outfielder wRC+ last season.

And as invincible as the Dodgers seem, they are aging. They had the Majors’ oldest position player group last year, with an average weighted age of 30.7 years. (The MLB average was 27.9 years.) Freddie Freeman only has so many star-level years left, and Mookie Betts had a down year at age 32. Even the Dodgers cannot defeat Father Time.

There are also historical considerations. The push for a three-peat, and a chance to be known as a dynasty, increases incentive to add as much talent as possible to their already star-laden cast. The last team to win three consecutive World Series was the 1998-2000 Yankees.