Bryant is back, and more:
After a forgettable and unhealthy end to 2018, the Cubs’ former MVP looks more physically, mentally sharp than ever.
Kris Bryant was not among the 11 buzz-worthy players on the podium for MLB’s promotional spot that urged all to “Let the kids play.”
For now, he’s not on anyone’s short list for National League MVP, not when Christian Yelich is hammering home runs in Milwaukee and Cody Bellinger is imitating Ted Williams in Los Angeles and even his Chicago Cubs teammate, Javier Baez, remains dazzling a field and highly productive at the plate.
A game defined by its deliberate nature seems to get faster every year, be it entry or exit velocities or our apparent desire to embrace the next big thing. And so it was easy to forget about Bryant, now 27, three years removed from his MVP and World Series champion turn and coming off a left shoulder injury that dampened his 2018 season.
Yet as the Cubs shook off a sluggish start to climb over Yelich’s Brewers and into first place in the NL Central, it was Bryant’s bat providing much of the thunder.
And perhaps of greater import, showing off the very best version of himself, physically and mentally.
“I’d like to say, now I’m a whole lot smarter, and just come to the field with less anxiety, less having to prove myself,” Bryant says in regard to his younger self. “Now, I know I belong here and I can just go out and play.”
It seems silly to even consider Bryant worrying about such matters. After all, he posted a .915 OPS and averaged 31 homers a season from 2015, a span that included the 2016 title.
Yet one of the game’s most artistic swings — Bryant’s onehanded finish as he punishes a baseball — betrayed him in 2018. A left shoulder injury far more troublesome than publicly acknowledged limited him to 102 games and lopped nearly 100 points off his career slugging percentage of .572. Bryant was one of several misfiring lineup parts as the Cubs staggered down the stretch and endured a 1-2 punch — losses to Milwaukee in a one-game playoff for the Central title and the Colorado Rockies in the wildcard game — that ended their three-year run of reaching at least the NL Championship Series.
The KO was a blessing for KB; Bryant could start strengthening his shoulder earlier. He put in the necessary work all winter and showed up to spring training almost defiant — “Bring it on,” he said to his doubters — and homered in his first Cactus League at-bat. But still.
“You always kind of wonder how you’re going to respond,” Bryant admits, “especially when you take about 60 games off, it’s never a great year.”
‘That’s all I can ask for’
Not to worry. Bryant’s .964 OPS through May 19 ranked seventh in the NL, and he was in the top 10 in on-base percentage (.402) and adjusted OPS (152), while his 11 homers placed him 11th. His average exit velocity and hard-hit ball rate were back at his normal levels after taking a dip last season.
He was on a remarkable 23game roll: 10n homers, 24 RBI, 19 walks to just 15 strikeouts, all part of a 26-game streak of reaching base. The Cubs were 16-7 in that stretch.
The most telling statistic, one that points to his continued growth, won’t show up on an MVP dossier.
Since winning NL Rookie of the Year, Bryant has cut his strikeout rate nearly in half, from 30% in 2015 to 17% this year. He reduced that percentage every year save for his injury-plagued ’18 season, a remarkable feat at a time strikeouts around baseball spiraled to record numbers.
His strike zone control is also at a different level: Bryant reduced his swings outside the zone from 30% last year to 25% this year, per Baseball Info Solutions. His contact rate when he goes outside the zone is up to 71%, from 49% last year.
“I just think his body in general feels better, and he learned a lot of lessons last year,” says manager Joe Maddon. “What he knows about himself now, mentally and physically at the plate, I think he’s continued to learn. It’s such an industry-wide situation where if a guy struggles a bit, has to look at his video and think automatically, ‘I’m doing something wrong.’ Most of the time, they’re swinging at bad pitches. Most of the time, it’s not necessarily physical.”
Bryant will never again be the Next Big Thing, but he’s probably better than that guy was anyway. He’s certainly better than the dude who slogged through 2018.
“That’s all I can ask for — is just go out there and feel good,” he says.
Better than ever, really.