Cubs Starting Five Announced, Stat Showing Kris Bryant is Greatest 3B in Baseball
This is going to be short and sweet. The Cubs announced their starting rotation, sans Jose Quintana who cut his hand on a wine glass while washing dishes.
- Game One: Kyle Hendricks
- Game Two: Yu Darvish
- Game Three: Tyler Chatwood
- Game Four: Jon Lester
- Game Five: Alec Mills
Alec Mills shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. His gutsy performance in September against the St Louis Cardinals in 2018 showed that he has the stuff to compete at the big league level. Another surprise, which was revealed a couple of days ago, is Lester being moved to the fourth spot. But this sets him up to start the second series of the season, in Cincinnati.
I told you all Kris Bryant is the best third baseman in baseball! This stat just goes to prove it!
Kris Bryant's early career has been EPIC
Among 3B*, only one player has at least a .280 BA, .900 OPS, and 135 HR in his first 5 seasons in MLB.
KRIS BRYANT
*Played at least 55% of games at 3B pic.twitter.com/nPJuGGay0u— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) July 22, 2020
Ok, I realize that over the past two seasons several other players have leaped over Bryant. Guys like Nolan Arenado, Anthony Rendon, and even Alex Bregman. The title on this is also in jest, but I do think a lot of fans have forgotten just how good Bryant’s been.
When Bryant is healthy – he absolutely is a top five player in baseball. He does everything well, hits for power, gets on base, hits for average, runs the bases better than maybe any other player today, plays good defense at several positions. He adds value in ways other players don’t.
Sure, he doesn’t have the glove of Arenado. He doesn’t drive in the runs that Rendon does. He doesn’t have someone banging a trashcan like Bregman does.
Nonetheless, having a .280 BA, .900 OPS, and 135 HR in his first 5 seasons is incredibly impressive and knowing he’s the only one to have done this shows just how good of a player he is – regardless of what his haters say.
Oh, and as Anthony Rizzo comes back into the lineup from back tightness, Bryant will sit tonight’s game out with the same issue.
