You can’t say enough good things about Kris Bryant’s first couple months at AA this year. No, seriously: you can’t say enough good things. Don’t stop. It pleases me.
Yesterday, the Smokies lost 2-1, but that 1 came courtesy of another monster bomb from Bryant. Unlike many of his other, effortless homers, it looks like Bryant actually swung hard on this one:
Swung hard, hit it hard, and sent it a long way.
That was Bryant’s 13th homer, three clear of the next guy in the league (a guy who had to hit five homers in five at bats to even get that close). His OPS leads the league by nearly 150 points(!) over teammate Rafael Lopez. And it isn’t all just his power: his .433 OBP also leads the league.
Strikeouts are just about the only thing to which you could point that have been an issue for Bryant (though I’m told there isn’t any serious concern, long-term, with Bryant’s strikeout rate), as his K rate has been hovering in the 27/28% range, which is definitely higher than you’d like to see. He’s struck out only three times in his last five games, though, for what that’s worth.
All in all, it continues to be a monster season for Bryant, one of the best by anyone at any level right now.