When Willson Contreras went down last week, the question was which Cub was going to step for this team, and expected guys like Jason Heyward, Javier Baez, or Ian Happ to try and pick up the offensive slack.
However, nobody mentioned reigning MVP Kris Bryant. Not because people thought he wasn’t capable of being an offensive catalyst, but because it was hard to believe Bryant could be doing more at the plate.
But, that is exactly what KB is doing right now.
Kris Bryant woke up Friday morning hitting .279.
He's now hitting .296.
— Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) August 15, 2017
Kris Bryant 11-game hitting streak (28 times on base):
.465/.549/.744, 20 Hits, 8 Runs, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 6 Walks, 2 HBP#Cubs— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) August 15, 2017
It’s hard to believe people are still thinking Kris Bryant is having a down season, as he already has better numbers now than he did last season – which resulted in him being crowned NL MVP.
Just from the last 4 games, Kris Bryant has gone from
.279/.390/509 to
.296/.407/.541 #Cubs— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) August 15, 2017
For reference, Bryant’s 2016 slash line was .292/.385/.554, with the only real difference between this year and last being his runs scored and RBI’s – he stands no real chance of catching his 121 runs scored and 102 runs driven in from last season. However, with the Willson Contreras injury on top of Bryce Harper and his bone bruise, the MVP race is still somewhat up for grabs.
Now, of course I am aware of guys like Corey Seager and Justin Turner playing out of their minds for the Dodgers, but their club is an absolute lock for the playoffs at this point. Giancarlo Stanton is on pace to hit close to 60 home runs, but plays on a bad team in Miami. Guys like Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Anthony Rendon are in the picture, but I wouldn’t up them that far ahead of Bryant – Especially if KB continues to rake and propels the Cubs to a NL central title.
But what’s important to consider about Bryant is his all-around game and impact he has for the Cubs, in particular with his speed. The guy is deceptively fast for a 6’5″ 3rd baseman, and according to Statcast, Bryant is the fastest player in the league at his position. Bryant has been constantly using his legs to make things happen for the Cubs offense, scoring on plays he has no business crossing the plate on.
Like on this past ball, scoring all the way from 2nd base.
Very good base running by Kris Bryant a big fast guy with go instincts. Kept his eye on the ball with a secondary in motion, not stopping pic.twitter.com/Xld3ACh4Db
— Baseball Podcast (@baseballout) August 15, 2017
Or scoring on a bloop single by Anthony Rizzo, which ended up being the game-wining run against the Cardinals. Looking back, this play could be the difference between the Cubs leading or trailing in the division.
Kris Bryant scores from first on Anthony Rizzo's bloop single to take the lead. pic.twitter.com/mKuKnB0pcs
— Kevin Marchina (@kg_holler) July 22, 2017
And of course just last night, Bryant gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead, scoring on a slow-rolling hit through the left-side by Rizzo.
Rizzo 2-run double. pic.twitter.com/leTkrRgADU
— Kevin Marchina (@kg_holler) August 15, 2017
His defense, while not on the same level of an Arenado, has quietly been improving throughout the season. Currently, he is good for one defensive run saved at the hot corner, flashing soft hands and an excellent arm.
Of course, Bryant is not having the same type of season he had in 2016, where he registered a 8.4 WAR. But, with where the Cubs are in the standings and their need for their best player to carry them into the playoffs, it’s not hard to write the narrative for Kris Bryant repeating as NL MVP. But, even if KB doesn’t win any personal awards this season, taking his offense to another level can only lead to good things for the Cubs in 2017.
