Is Kris Bryant Already One of the League’s Most Feared Hitters? And Other Bullets

kris bryant cubs battingIf the Bullets are your first stop today, I offered my thoughts on last night’s loss earlier this morning. So, that’s where that is, and now I’ll turn to other things …

  • After a few games where he looked to be out-guessed at the plate, it was like Kris Bryant flipped a switch (not unlike after James Shields dominated Bryant in his big league debut). He wasn’t offering at anything off the plate, and when he was, he notched a single. Otherwise, he took four walks in the game, bringing his total on the young season to 16 (against 19 strikeouts). Bryant’s OBP is .458, and he’s sporting an otherworldly 22.2% walk rate despite hitting in the middle of the order (it’s not like he’s got the pitcher behind him). He’s a rookie, but pitchers know how much damage he can do, so they’re being almost unthinkably cautious with him (to their own detriment, possibly).
  • Among players with at least 70 plate appearances so far this year, Bryant’s walk rate is tied with Bryce Harper for the highest in baseball. Wrap your head around a brand new rookie – whatever the pedigree – being walked as much as one of the most feared hitters in baseball.* If pitchers continue to approach Bryant like this, the Cubs might be best served moving him into the two-hole, between Dexter Fowler and Anthony Rizzo.
  • *(Also wrap your head around how impressive Harper is – he’s a year younger than Bryant.)
  • Heads up: today only, there’s a deal in the BN shop where you can get free shipping if you buy any two items. Just use the code FREE2LOVE when you check out.
  • This Cubs.com piece on the Cubs’ lack of home runs thus far could really read like an overall piece about the Cubs: good things are coming, young players have to adjust, and the talent is there.
  • Last night, Chris Denorfia aggravated the hamstring that kept him out the first few weeks of the season, and he’s likely headed back to the disabled list for a while, with Matt Szczur coming up today to replace him. It’s a real bummer for Denorfia, who was hitting .429/.455/.476 in limited duty (that’s a lot of singles!).
  • Was it worth it? This guy, one of the BFIB:
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

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