This is the thread where we talk about how awesome Kris Bryant is

[Hrubes20]

Wasn't sure where to put it, but with the Cardinals hacking punichment announcement, it made me remember that the MLBPA filed a grievance on behalf of Bryant last offseason in regards to the service time shenanigans. Have we seen any resolution to this? A quick google search brought up nothing.

[Cubswin11]

Wasn't sure where to put it, but with the Cardinals hacking punichment announcement, it made me remember that the MLBPA filed a grievance on behalf of Bryant last offseason in regards to the service time shenanigans. Have we seen any resolution to this? A quick google search brought up nothing.

I think they tweaked service time rules when the new CBA begins? But it's nothing groundbreaking, i.e. It won't be "The Kris Bryant Rule."

[Hrubes20]

Wasn't sure where to put it, but with the Cardinals hacking punichment announcement, it made me remember that the MLBPA filed a grievance on behalf of Bryant last offseason in regards to the service time shenanigans. Have we seen any resolution to this? A quick google search brought up nothing.

I think they tweaked service time rules when the new CBA begins? But it's nothing groundbreaking, i.e. It won't be "The Kris Bryant Rule."

 

They did tweak them in the new CBA, but I haven't seen anything that says that the grievance was dismissed in its entirety.

[Regular Show]

KB says he's gonna start incorporating his usual flair for oppo blasts into his game this year.

 

I'll take some 300/400/600 seasons

 

I love that he is able to adapt and improve himself. Last year it was with flattening out his swing. Now he is doing this in case teams start pitching him away more. These aren't superficial changes. He's actually looking for ways that he can improve himself, without taking away from things that he already does well. It is crazy to think that he could still get better.

 

Honestly, and this is the crazy part (since we're talking about the NL MVP) but I feel like there are many ways Kris Bryant can still improve. There are SO many times he looks overmatched during an AB last year. Everyone knows about his struggles against good changeups and how he can't adapt to it right now. That will come with time and more exposure. He stills struggles against good sliders on that outer third of the plate (low and away) that break sharply, especially once he has two strikes. That is something almost everyone struggles with. Learning how to foul off good pitches is a lost art form, but I wish he would try doing that like Zobrist.

 

He doesn't go opposite field very often, and when he does it's a pretty big surprise. Using the whole field and just cutting down on the strikeouts will yield huge improvements. There are only a few hitters on the team who have as much room to improve as hitters. The only one with more room or potential and a higher upside is Baez. If Baez ever figures it out, man, I can't even imagine how deadly a lineup we could run out there...

[cubsclapp]

KB says he's gonna start incorporating his usual flair for oppo blasts into his game this year.

 

I'll take some 300/400/600 seasons

 

I love that he is able to adapt and improve himself. Last year it was with flattening out his swing. Now he is doing this in case teams start pitching him away more. These aren't superficial changes. He's actually looking for ways that he can improve himself, without taking away from things that he already does well. It is crazy to think that he could still get better.

 

Honestly, and this is the crazy part (since we're talking about the NL MVP) but I feel like there are many ways Kris Bryant can still improve. There are SO many times he looks overmatched during an AB last year. Everyone knows about his struggles against good changeups and how he can't adapt to it right now. That will come with time and more exposure. He stills struggles against good sliders on that outer third of the plate (low and away) that break sharply, especially once he has two strikes. That is something almost everyone struggles with. Learning how to foul off good pitches is a lost art form, but I wish he would try doing that like Zobrist.

 

He doesn't go opposite field very often, and when he does it's a pretty big surprise. Using the whole field and just cutting down on the strikeouts will yield huge improvements. There are only a few hitters on the team who have as much room to improve as hitters. The only one with more room or potential and a higher upside is Baez. If Baez ever figures it out, man, I can't even imagine how deadly a lineup we could run out there...

 

And in the minors he went to the opposite field *a lot*. It seemed like at least half of his homers went that way. People weren't sure if he'd be able to turn on good fastballs and he's obviously shown to get much, much better there. If he keeps that up, and is driving the ball the other way again, you'd better have really good changeups and sliders (and he will frequently spit on them anyway).

[cubsclapp]

I googled about it and found Kris, his dad, and Mallee talking about it. And it was actually well over 50% of his AA and AAA homers to the opposite field:

 

"I want to get back to hitting the ball to right field," Bryant said. "In the minor leagues, that's where most of my power was. I was pitched inside so often to a point I pulled the ball very well. I'm sure guys are going to pitch me (away more now). That's what they did in the minor leagues, and I want to get back to what I was doing so well."

 

Mike Bryant pointed out 27 of his son's 43 home runs at Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa were hit to right field.

 

"It's not that he has to go the other way," the elder Bryant said. "It's so he'll be ready (if pitchers pitch him away)."

 

Unlike last season, when Bryant worked on taking the verticality out of his swing, his preparation to hit to the opposite field won't require any mechanical adjustments or fixes.

 

"It's letting the ball travel and try to hit through the ball to the opposite field," Cubs hitting coach John Mallee said. "You see his home run numbers go up, strikeout numbers went considerably down and he didn't hit the ball to the opposite field as often.

 

"If you look at those numbers, he just wants to be a complete hitter. He's not satisfied with .290 or .300. You know at certain points they will pitch you away. If you don't try to hit the ball to the opposite field and take what they give you, then you're not going to be the complete hitter you can be. And he wants to be as complete as can be."

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-kris-bryant-mvp-improve-spt-0122-20170121-story.html

[imb]

kris

 

i love you

[treebird]

A real franchise player

 

and a re al he ro

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

A real franchise player

 

and a re al he ro

 

G'damn true American

[bbvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcV1UpZAWAc[/bbvideo]

[UMFan83]

lmao....Maddux pranks KB. KB can't hit his curve.

 

[bbvideo=560,315]

[/bbvideo]

[David]

"you still want my bat?"

 

"nope"

[Tracer Bullet]

Just be happy you got out of there without pee on your leg, rook

[Banedon]

lmao....Maddux pranks KB. KB can't hit his curve.

 

[bbvideo=560,315]

[/bbvideo]

 

That is fantastic.

[imb]

"you still want my bat?"

 

"nope"

 

Yeah that was the best part.

 

last year's "prank" was dumb. "hey guys i think that's kris bryant." *5 more minutes passes* "hey kris wow u got us."

 

But this one actually was funny

[badger]

Should I have known that KB is mormon? Is this common knowledge?

[David]

Should I have known that KB is mormon? Is this common knowledge?

 

It's at least been a rumor for a while.

 

Did I miss something in that video that had to do with that though?

[Tracer Bullet]

Try to hit it off the barrel.

 

I have to imagine there are a lot of reigning MVPs that wouldn't be so good natured about a smart ass cameraman.

[Derwood]

Just coming to post that. I was dying

[badger]

Should I have known that KB is mormon? Is this common knowledge?

 

It's at least been a rumor for a while.

 

Did I miss something in that video that had to do with that though?

 

 

No there was some comment that I was too lazy to find about him having likely having the ceremony in some Gaudy LDS church earlier in the thread.

[Sammy Sofa]

Wait, that's just a rumor? I thought all of the "Bryant can't handle his booze" jokes were because he was a known garment-wearer.

[Cubswin11]

I think Bryant and Harper being Mormons is pretty common knowledge

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BH707aNAPRb/

[Banedon]

Try to hit it off the barrel.

 

I have to imagine there are a lot of reigning MVPs that wouldn't be so good natured about a smart ass cameraman.

 

It makes me at least mildly skeptical that KB didn't figure it out and was playing along a bit. But who cares, it's still funny.

[OleMissCub]

 

But this one actually was funny

 

Works especially well with Maddux, a man who looks the farthest thing from being an elite athlete.

[OleMissCub]

Try to hit it off the barrel.

 

I have to imagine there are a lot of reigning MVPs that wouldn't be so good natured about a smart ass cameraman.

 

It makes me at least mildly skeptical that KB didn't figure it out and was playing along a bit. But who cares, it's still funny.

 

Yeah, I dunno. Part of me thinks that and then part of me thinks that KB is just such a nice dude that he's not going to be an ass and is the type that goes along to get along.

[David]

Wait, that's just a rumor? I thought all of the "Bryant can't handle his booze" jokes were because he was a known garment-wearer.

 

They were mainly because he has been vocal about never having had alcohol (thought I'm not sure if he followed through on his claim that he'd drink World Series champagne) and then he has missed/been pulled from games on more than one occasion with "flu like symptoms."

 

I know it's been talked about that he's Mormon but I'm not sure it's ever been confirmed in any sort of way (like him saying so, or it even being in print as a fact).