Former Chicago Cubs third baseman and current Colorado Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant expects to be 100% healthy and ready for the start of spring training. Bryant is entering his second year with the Rockies, after signing a seven-year, $182 million contract with the club last March.
Bryant played just 42 games in 2022, with back and foot injuries putting him on the shelf for most of the season. He did, however, play very well when he was healthy, slashing .306/.376/.851 with five home runs and 14 RBI.
Bryant had a historic start to his career. After winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award, he won the league's MVP Award to go with the Cubs' first World Series championship since 1908 in his sophomore season. In 2017, he finished seventh in MVP voting. He placed 11th in MVP voting his rookie season. By that measuring stick, he was a top-11 player in the National League through his first three seasons. Only 25, he seemed to just be scratching the surface of what he was capable of.
Over his first three seasons, Bryant slashed .288/.388/.915 with an average of 31 home runs and 91 RBI per season.
Bryant has not received a single MVP vote since then. So what happened?
Bryant got off to a strong start in the first three weeks of the 2018 season, but then took a 96-mph fastball to the head from Rockies pitcher German Marquez, in a series at Coors Field. Bryant exited the game, and for whatever reason, hasn't been the same player since.
Bryant slashed .260/.352/.792 over his final 85 games, posting career lows at the time in Batting Average, OPS, OPS+, home runs and RBI.
Bryant played 151 or more games in each of his first three seasons, but hasn't played 150 games in a season since. He's struggled with injuries.
From 2019 through 2022, Bryant slashed .271/.362/.846 and was named an All-Star twice. He's still a highly productive player and one of the best players at his position, but he has not been the same beast for whatever reason since 2017.
There's no way to definitively trace Bryant's regression to the pitch he took to the noggin. Perhaps it has impacted him mentally and and changed the way he stands in the batter's box. There's no way to really know.
But for whatever reason, that beanball seemed to be a turning point in his career. After his first three seasons, I expected him to be a perennial MVP candidate. He hasn't received a single vote since.
Now healthy, and still only 31, Bryant hopes to put his injury-riddled 2022 season in the rearview and return to MVP form in 2023. In order for the Rockies to move up in a highly competitive National League West, they will need a big year out of Bryant.
Bryant is still a very good hitter. If he stays on the field, he could make great use of a hitter-friendly Coors Field and put together a great season. He may be poised for a bounce-back.
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