Background on Kris
The prospect that I am going to talk about this week is non other than the Chicago Cub's own, Kris Bryant. Kris Bryant was drafted in the first round (second overall) by the Cubs. By the end of the 2014 Minor League season, Bryant was ranked as the Cubs #1 prospect on MLB.com. In all of baseball, Bryant was ranked as the #3 overall prospect. During the 2014 season, he spent his time split between two teams, the Tenneesee Smokies (AA) and the Iowa Cubs (AAA).
How Did 2014 Go?
During this past season, Bryant had 43 home runs and 110 runs batted in. These are excellent numbers for a player who has only been in the league for two years! He also had a very solid .325 batting average between the two clubs that he played for. This stats not only show that he has a lot of power, but he also has the ability to hit for average and get on base a lot. Like I mentioned last week with Joey Gallo, the potential of striking out may happen a good amount for power hitters. This may or may not be the case with Bryant. As time goes on and with the more at bats he gets, we will be able to see how that plays out. Besides being a power house on the offensive side of the field, Bryant has the potential to be a solid defender as well. He has a very strong arm which is needed for when he plays third base. Another upside to Bryant's game is that he is very athletic. This is something that is not often seen as much with players of his frame and size. His ability on the base paths is something that should not be underestimated as well!
Kris Bryant earned many awards and honors during the past season. Some include:
- 2014 USA Today Minor League Player of the Year
- 2014 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year
- Baseball America Minor League All-Star
- Futures Game Selection
- 3x Player of the Week
Overall, I think that Bryant will have a great future in the big leagues. He is already showing a lot of promise while only playing two season of minor league ball. His ability to hit the long ball along with his ability to hit for average and play good defense at third base will allow him to be a very solid player in this next upcoming years. If needed, Bryant has the ability to play the corner outfield positions well due to his athletic ability and arm strength. He may be one of the main pieces that the Cubs are missing in order to turn the franchise around!
Mike's Rating
A+
Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions on Kris Bryant or on anything that was said in this blog! Thanks for reading!