Cubs infielder/outfielder Kris Bryant news and videos

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But how do you sit the hottest hitter on the planet? Bryant just finished a torrid road trip in which he staked his claim to the National League MVP Award by hitting .417 with a 1.365 OPS, five homers, 11 RBIs and 11 runs in nine games. That pushed his season line to .305/.398/.588 (.986 OPS) with a league-leading 35 homers and 107 runs plus 89 RBIs. So is he the Most Valuable Player in just his second season in "The Show"? "I don't want to get too wrapped up in individual awards," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "He's an outstanding player having a great year. It's never too early. "(Red Sox second baseman) Dustin Pedroia is another guy we drafted over a decade ago and he did the same thing — Rookie of the Year in the first year and then MVP the next year. It can be done. "(Bryant is) helping us win in so many different ways. Obviously coming up big of late, which is great to see. He deserves all the accolades that are coming his way and that may eventually come his way. "But I think he'd probably be the first one to tell you he wants the team awards; he wants the team recognition in the end. The only one that really counts is winning your last game and the parade. Everything else is nice to fill the trophy case, but that's what everyone here is all about." Bryant will undoubtedly split some MVP votes with teammate Anthony Rizzo (.946 OPS, 25 home runs, 89 RBIs), but the Cubs third baseman/outfielder woke up Monday morning leading all of baseball in WAR on FanGraphs' page . [SHOP CUBS: Get a Kris Bryant jersey right here ] Even the Cubs admit Bryant has progressed beyond their realistic expectations. "I would never have held him to this standard," Epstein said. "I wouldn't say, 'This is his development path. He's gotta go be maybe the Most Valuable Player in the league in the second year.' But at the same time, it doesn't surprise me. "He's always been outstanding at making adjustments. Very cerebral player. Makes great use of his down time, whether it's the winter where he can work on swing adjustments or even the time between at-bats or pitch-to-pitch. He's just really, really good at making adjustments and thinks about his own game at a really high level. "He's such a good athlete, he's able to take it right out on the field." Bryant has also surprised Epstein and the Cubs with how he's evolved as a player. "In some ways, surprising," Epstein said. "I thought he would always hit five to 10 opposite field home runs a year at a minimum, and he hasn't this year — that was his first one of the year the other day at Dodger Stadium. "But he's added the ability to turn on the inside pitch and hit it in the air and keep it fair, so he's hitting more home runs as a result. So I never saw that coming. "It's interesting the way his swing and his game have evolved." In discussing the difference between 2016 Bryant and the rookie model, Maddon pointed to a decrease in strikeouts (from 30.6 percent in 2015 to 22 percent) and a smoother product on defense. "The biggest for me is consistently shorter swing. More contact," Maddon said. "He's had smaller windows of chasing pitches out of the strike zone compared to last year when he did it more often. "But recently, he's been using the outfield gap, which is really impressive. So offensively, that's what I'm seeing. Defensively, better feet on the infield. "You'd see a lot of the patting of the glove as the feet were moving. I see it on occasion now, but not to the extent I saw it last year. He's still a great baserunner. "So primarily — shorter hack, greater contact, less chase, right central is coming back into play right now and better feet on defense. That's what I'm seeing." Put it all together and you have an MVP frontrunner entering September. Tags: Chicago Cubs , Kris Bryant Kris Bryant’s MVP performance leads Cubs to comeback win at Dodger Stadium Kris Bryant’s MVP performance leads Cubs to comeback win at Dodger Stadium By Patrick Mooney August 27, 2016 12:50 AM Latest Cubs Talk Cubs bring Tommy La Stella back Preview: Cubs wrap series with Bucs on CSN How Hendricks became a Cy Young-level performer LOS ANGELES – The “MVP! MVP! MVP!” chants started at Dodger Stadium late Friday night, Cubs fans celebrating Kris Bryant’s two-run homer in the 10th inning and cheering on this entertaining comeback win. Until Clayton Kershaw returns to full strength, stares down hitters from 60 feet, six inches and unleashes his entire arsenal, it’s impossible to know how the Cubs would stack up against Los Angeles in October. But it’s still safe to say this would be an epic playoff matchup between two big-market, star-studded franchises, with two iconic ballparks becoming the backdrop, celebrity row after celebrity row. As a quiet homebody who happens to have his own billboards and marketing deals – but doesn’t do bulletin-board quotes or brag about his game – Bryant is not exactly a Hollywood personality. But this is also a goal-oriented individual who doesn’t shy away from the pressure and the expectations and absolutely wants to be the best at his craft. The Cubs won this round with Bryant, who launched his 34th and 35th home runs in a 6-4 victory, an MVP-worthy season becoming the sequel to his Rookie of the Year campaign. “It’s humbling,” Bryant said. “You grow up hearing that kind of stuff on TV. To experience it in real life is pretty cool.” It became hard to hear Bryant inside the visiting clubhouse, because teammates chanted “MVP!” and sung along with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre as “Nuthin But a G Thang” played on the sound system. But for most of the night, it looked like it would be a silent room postgame as the resilient Dodgers took 3-1 and 4-2 leads. Until the eighth inning, when Bryant launched a home run off Joe Blanton that landed in the center-field seats blocked off for the batter’s eye. And then the ninth inning showed why manager Joe Maddon will want Gold Glove outfielder Jason Heyward in a playoff lineup. In the middle of a frustrating offensive season where he’s felt the weight of a $184 million contract, Heyward led off by ripping a double into the right-field corner off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen. Heyward hustled to third base when new Dodgers catcher Carlos Ruiz couldn’t handle strike three against Jorge Soler. Heyward ran home to score the game-tying run when a Jansen wild pitch sailed toward the backstop. That set the stage for Bryant, who brought up the fielding error he made in the fifth inning during his postgame interview on Channel 7 after hitting the game-winning homer off lefty Adam Liberatore. All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo may set the tone in the clubhouse, but Bryant already brings tunnel vision and a high degree of professionalism to an 82-45 team, even at the age of 24. “He just doesn’t quit,” Heyward said. “He wants to be in every spot. He goes up there and has his at-bat – and that’s it. “You can talk about why he’s been hitting the ball well, this and that, but he has a good approach. It’s that simple. Other than that, he works his tail off every day to try and go out there and help us win. “When you have that gift – and you have that work ethic – the bottom line is a lot of good things can happen.” [SHOP: Gear up, Cubs fans! ] A resourceful $250 million team won’t fade away, even with Kershaw (back) not pitching for two months, one of 27 players the Dodgers have stashed on the disabled list, tying a major-league record. Los Angeles has cycled through 14 different starting pitchers, relying on depth, a powerful lineup and a strong bullpen to surge into first place and hold onto a one-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the National League West. “How about last year?” Maddon said. “We beat up on the Mets during the season, we go (into the playoffs) and we can’t even touch them. It’s such a different animal. People get hot or people get cold. “I’m not going to diminish the fact I’m going to be paying attention. But things change. Trends can be so trendy, to quote Yogi. So I don’t get too far ahead, because things can change very quickly.” Like Bryant going from a promising player with a few holes in his swing who looked worn down at times last season – to an MVP frontrunner with a .303 average, 89 RBI, 107 runs scored, a .982 OPS and the versatility to play third base, defensively shift across the infield and move to the outfield. Kershaw vs. Bryant would be must-see TV in October. Tags: Chicago Cubs , Kris Bryant Cubs: Kris Bryant returns as Express brand ambassador for Fall/Winter 2016 Cubs: Kris Bryant returns as Express brand ambassador for Fall/Winter 2016 By #CubsTalk August 23, 2016 11:56 AM In an advertisement for Express, Cubs superstar Kris Bryant said: "When you look good, you play good." Bryant, who signed on as a brand ambassador for the clothing company Express last March, has played better than "good" this season as he leads the National League with a 6.05 WAR and is one of the frontrunners for the NL MVP award. Bryant's partnership with Express has been such a success that he has been brought back as the Express Men ambassador for Fall/Winter 2016. [SHOP: Buy a Kris Bryant jersey ] Check out Bryant's new "Legend in the Making" advertisement with Express: ​Express may have to edit the spot with the words "World Series Champion" if Bryant helps the Cubs break their 108-year World Series drought this fall. Tags: Chicago Cubs , Kris Bryant Load more Cubs: Theo Epstein believes Kris Bryant can follow in Dustin Pedroia's MVP footsteps Kris Bryant’s MVP performance leads Cubs to comeback win at Dodger Stadium Cubs: Kris Bryant returns as Express brand ambassador for Fall/Winter 2016 Kris Bryant delivers another MVP performance for red-hot Cubs Kris Bryant shakes off collision, embraces opportunity to DH FOLLOW US Facebook Twitter Google Plus Instagram ©2016 Comcast SportsNet Chicago, LLC A Division of NBC Universal Advertise Affiliates Employment Opportunities Internships Independent Programming Report Parents Guide to TV Ratings Press Releases Contact Us Tickets CSN Talent Privacy Policy Purchase Policy Term of Service Live FAQ Ad Choices GET NEWSLETTERS & ALERTS SIGN UP