It only took one game for Cubs fans to panic and overreact about Kyle Tucker

It's March 18 and if you read some of the takes on social media, the Chicago Cubs' season is officially over. That's right. A 4-1 loss on Opening Day at the Tokyo Dome has way too many folks wallowing in self pity and drowning in a sea of woe and doom, but that's Cubs fans for you.

After staking Shota Imanaga to a 1-0 lead, the Cubs' offense was largely lifeless from there. Ian Happ led off the third with a base hit - and Chicago had next to nothing to show moving forward, going hitless in 16-at bats, including six strikeouts. Dodgers pitching was absolutely dominant, aside from a run-scoring double off the bat off Miguel Amaya in the bottom of the second.

Among the seven Cubs who went hitless in the game was new star outfielder Kyle Tucker, who went 0-for-4 on the day. That performance didn't sit well with a lot of fans given his well-documented Cactus League struggles (1-for-23) and Cam Smith's breakout showing this spring.

Fans on X were heartily criticizing the three-time All-Star during the game - leaving no stone unturned when putting his recent performance under the magnifying glass.

Tuesday's loss was sloppy, no doubt. Cubs pitchers issued eight walks, the defense made two key errors behind them and the bats were nowhere to be found. But there's no reason to immediately jump to the conclusion that those trends are going to be themes of the 2025 season - nor is there a legitimate reason to believe that, after being a roughly 40 percent better than average hitter his entire career, Tucker has forgotten how to swing a bat and manufacture offense.

As Chicago faithful are all too well aware watching the streakiness of guys like Seiya Suzuki in recent years, it's a long season - filled with ups and downs. Seeing the team look as flat as it did on an international stage to open the year wasn't ideal, but there's a lot of baseball to be played. The fact I'm having to remind people of this in mid-March is damning in and of itself.

Take a deep breath, enjoy the fact the Chicago Cubs are back and have a legitimate superstar in Kyle Tucker for the first time in years. Believe it or not, the sun will rise tomorrow - and before that even happens, the team will have a chance to put their best foot forward once again.