Kris Bryant‘s time with the Chicago Cubs is likely going to come to an end by the 4 p.m. MLB trade deadline on Friday.
He has accomplished a ton during his time with the organization, and fans will hate to see him go.
The Cubs initially drafted Bryant with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2013 draft.
Even with expectations being incredibly high, Bryant found a way to live up to the hype.
Today, we are going to rank his three best moments with the team.
There are plenty to choose from, but these are the best of the best.
Let’s get started.
3. Bryant Homers In 3 Straight Innings
In 2019, Bryant joined a very exclusive club of players to homer in three consecutive innings.
Homering three times in one game is a ridiculous accomplishment in itself, but to do it in three straight frames is even more absurd.
A year ago today, @KrisBryant_23 became just the 12th player to go deep in 3 consecutive innings (7th, 8th, 9th inning). pic.twitter.com/QjkjYCNCIr
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) May 17, 2020
That was certainly the highlight of Bryant’s 2019 campaign.
It was a very solid all-around season for him.
He was named an All-Star and batted .282 with a .903 OPS, 31 home runs and a 4.5 WAR.
The Cubs narrowly missed the playoffs that season after going 84-78.
2. Bryant Wins National League MVP
Bryant is no stranger to winning awards.
He broke into the Majors by being named the Rookie of the Year in 2015, then he followed it up with an MVP campaign in 2016.
Bryant’s MVP regular season was special for one big reason: the Cubs went on to win the World Series that year.
In the regular season, he batted .292 with a .939 OPS, 146 OPS+, 39 home runs and 35 doubles.
He also had the best defensive season of his career, posting a 0.8 defensive WAR and a 0.8 Ultimate Zone Rating.
He finished the year with an overall WAR of 7.3.
Bryant helped the Cubs to a 103-win regular season.
Chicago won the National League Central with ease, and the team obviously went on to achieve much more in the playoffs.
At this point, Bryant was widely regarded as a superstar in most baseball circles.
1. Bryant And The Cubs End The World Series Drought
As mentioned, the Cubs won the World Series in the 2016 season.
It was the organization’s first title in 108 years.
Bryant’s MVP regular season was clearly massive, but he was just as good in the playoffs.
The homegrown star slashed .308/.400/.523 with three home runs and five doubles in 17 postseason games during the title run.
He hit two home runs in the World Series, and as the cherry on top, he fielded the ground ball that sealed the deal in Game 7.
𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟔
The Chicago Cubs win the World Series!pic.twitter.com/XTNpXdevwx
— This Day in Chicago Sports (@ChiSportsDay) November 2, 2020
That’s a memory that will last a lifetime, and on the World Series basis alone, there is absolutely no denying that Bryant’s time as a Cub has been a huge success.
He will go down as one of the most important players in franchise history.
Wrap-Up
With a trade seemingly inevitable, Bryant’s days with the Cubs are numbered.
Even if it means calling every team in the league, the organization needs to find the best return possible for the 29-year-old.
Fans presumably won’t be happy with the outcome unless some legitimate talent comes back to Chicago in the deal.
We’ll see what happens.
Leave a Reply