Kyle Tucker Tried 'Shot in the Dark' With Dave Roberts for Jersey Number

Nov 3, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts during the World Series championship parade Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There were obvious answers as to why the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker and which position he would play.

But not as clear was what jersey number Tucker would wear with the Dodgers after signing a four-year, $240 million contract.

It's a question the Dodgers had faced in the past, most notably after signing Shohei Ohtani to his mega deal. The superstar had worn No. 17 throughout his MLB career with the Los Angeles Angels, but it belonged to Joe Kelly at the time Ohtani joined the Dodgers.

Kelly's wife, Ashley, famously started a recruiting campaign on social media in which she promised her husband would give up the jersey number to Ohtani if he signed with the Dodgers. Ohtani wound up rewarding Ashley with a new Porsche as a thank you for his jersey number.

Prior to that, when Kiké Hernández returned to the Dodgers at the trade deadline in 2023, he needed to pick a new number because 14 had been retired in honor of Gil Hodges. Hernández chose No. 8, which was being worn by Bob Geren, who in turn switched to 88.

Why Kyle Tucker is Wearing No. 23 With Dodgers

After an opening statement from Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes during Tucker's introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium, the All-Star outfielder stood up and put on his new Dodgers jersey, revealing his new number to be 23.

“I gave him a call just to give it a shot in the dark. I kind of knew his reasoning behind having No. 30, but I was like, ‘I’m just going to take a shot in the dark here and see what happens.’ I wasn’t necessarily expecting it,” Tucker said of his conversation with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts regarding his jersey number.

Tucker went on to reveal he chose No. 23 as a tribute to Michael Brantley, his close friend and former Houston Astros teammate.

“He looked up to Maury Wills and was his mentor coming up, him wanting to wear that for him, kind of the same thing for me with 23,” Tucker explained. “Michael Brantley was the guy I hung out a lot with while coming up in Houston. He was a phenomenal ballplayer and one of my closest friends, so that played a big part in my choice of going with that.”

Roberts didn't shy away from not offering No. 30 to the Dodgers' newest superstar and said it was a “fun conversation” they had regarding the jersey number.

Tucker made clear, “It’s understandable. It totally was.”

Kyle Tucker's jersey history

Tucker first wore No. 3 as a rookie with the Astros during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He then switched to No. 20 in Houston, beginning in 2020. Tucker also wore 30 while with the Chicago Cubs last year.

Prior to Tucker, the last Dodgers player to wear No. 23 was Michael Conforto in 2025. Before him it was Jason Heyward from 2023-24.

Dodgers most prominently connected to No. 23 are Adrián González (2012-17), Eric Karros (1991-2002) and Kirk Gibson (1988-90).