With the 2010s coming to a close, NBC Sports Chicago is unveiling its Cubs All-Decade Team, highlighting the players who made the biggest impacts on the organization from 2010-19.
You can’t have a Cubs All-Decade Team without including both halves of ‘Bryzzo.’ And like the latter half, this Kris Bryant guy is pretty good.
Bryant is entering Year 6 of his big-league career but has already compiled a long list of accomplishments, forever placing him in Cubs lore. He won National League Rookie of the Year in 2015, MVP in 2016 and has been named to three All-Star teams (2015-16, 2019).
Ah, and let’s not forget Bryant reaching baseball’s pinnacle in his sophomore campaign, playing a major role in the Cubs snapping their 108-year championship drought.
Bryant holds a career .284/.385/.516 (.901 OPS) slash line with .383 wOBA. He’s knocked 138 home runs (averaging 28 per season) and has compiled 27.8 fWAR to date. Defensively, he’s provided the Cubs with valuable versatility playing third base, first base and the outfield.
Ironically, all that success has made Bryant underappreciated by a small sector of vocal Cubs fans. He’s compiled 2.3 and 4.8 fWAR the past two seasons — good, but less than 2015-17 (6.1, 7.9 and 6.7). However, Bryant missed 60 games in 2018 with a nagging left shoulder injury, one that sapped his power.
Last season, Bryant dealt with a debilitating right knee injury from late July on, at least. The ailment affected him offensively and he still finished with a .282/.382/.521 line with 31 homers and a .379 wOBA in 147 games. That’s impressive stuff, considering he wasn’t 100 percent, but his past performances left fans wanting more.
MLB
All things considered, Bryant is an elite player when healthy and a pretty damn good one when banged up. Based on what he’s done in his career so far, he's on track to become one of the best, if not the best, Cubs players ever. He's the clear-cut third baseman on our Cubs All-Decade squad.
Also considered: Tommy La Stella, Aramis Ramirez, Luis Valbuena