MLB Player Profile: Kris Bryant

Kris Bryant recovered nicely over the weekend following his rocky debut

As predicted by the entire world, Kris Bryant received the call-up on April 17. The North Side rejoiced, grabbed some popcorn, sat back and enjoyed the show. Or did they? We already knew what Kris Bryant did to spring pitching. Could his spring talents translate to April wins for the then first-place Cubs or would the honeymoon end before the reception was cleaned?

There is no other way to say this…Bryant’s debut was not pretty. He struck out in his first three at-bats. He left 5 runners on base in a one-run loss. Some were concerned, saying the Bryant timing was a mistake. However, one of the best things about baseball is until game 162 there is always tomorrow.

After watching Bryant’s debut intently I decided to go back to the spring. Maybe all of his nine home runs were simply off arms that were bagging groceries. Is it possible Bryant was simply outmatched and not ready for true Major League pitching? Well, he homered off of several good pitchers, including Trevor Bauer (2-0, 1.50 ERA in 2015), and a couple of excellent arms from the A’s in Hahn (1-1, 2.13 ERA) and Pomeranz (1-1, 3.00). There was another pitcher that stuck out…King Felix (2-0, 2.37 ERA), former Cy Young Award winner. I, and any other fan should throw the thought that Bryant wasn’t ready out of their minds. He is a Big League hitter, and he is here to stay. He simply needed to take one step forward and the rest would fall into place.

Game 2 was a new opportunity. A fresh start. Rumblings in Wrigley were getting louder as Bryant missed the first two pitches he saw from Ross. A competitor like Bryant would never say it, but confidence was fading. Bryant showed his skill, talent and eagle eye at the plate by watching the next four pitches miss including a baiting slider that had to be difficult to lay off. A walk while being down 0-2 to a pitcher like Ross was a huge victory for Bryant and fans alike. The jog to first base was probably more like a glide. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bryant didn’t even remember taking the actual steps. It wasn’t a hit, but most importantly it wasn’t a strikeout. Another impressive walk on a full count to start the fourth inning was another victory, suggesting the first was no fluke. In actuality, Bryant was only beginning to make Game 1 look like a fluke.

Finally, in the fifth inning, it was an opportunity to Bryant to flash his bat. With runners on the corners, Bryant flipped his bat and blooped a single over the second baseman’s head. The bat shattered into several pieces. One of my favorite saying in baseball: “the bat died a hero.” Bryant’s first hit drove in a run in a game in which the Cubbies won by one.

Fantasy Impact

Those who drafted Bryant and kept the faith will be kindly rewarded. While he won’t hit home runs at the pace he set in spring while pitchers were tuning and tweaking, it will be significant for a rookie. He should be in your lineup every day. With Fowler, Soler, and Rizzo hitting ahead of him there will be plenty of opportunity for RBI. The entire lineup looks dangerous and there is nothing wrong with the Northsiders thinking playoffs in April.

The buzz on Bryant is high, and holding on to a rookie with three games under his belt can also be risky. There will be growing pains. Selling high is not outlandish. While you don’t move him in a keeper league, making a move for premier needs in a seasonal league may be wise. Only time will tell.

Daily Fantasy Impact

Bryant sits at a very affordable $3,600 on FanDuel and $4,200 on DraftKings. Their price usually rises after consecutive solid performances. Matchups are everything. While I personally may not be inclined to roll him out against Burnett or a solid righty in cash games he could be an option in GPPs. He will be heavily owned when a lefty is on the mound, especially if he begins to string together some solid performances.