Once every few years, baseball has a "chosen one" that seems to take the baseball community by storm. In the last few years we've had Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Mike Trout. Who is the next big-time player?
Meet Kris Bryant, one of the top prospects in baseball, and the Cubs' top hitting prospect. He stands tall at third base at 6'5 215 pounds, possesses a wicked arm and a decent glove. But, that is not what Bryant is paid to do.
This is what Bryant is paid to do.
Hear that sound? That is one of the premier sounds in sports, the crack of the bat. But, he was able to make that sound on an opposite field home run.
So far in his minor league career, Bryant is hitting .347 with 32 home runs and 92 runs batted in across five different leagues in the last two seasons. Keep in mind that those 32 home runs came in just 380 at-bats. Prorated to 162 games, the current pace Bryant is on would bring him to around 50 home runs and 135 runs batted in. That is serious power, and very good production.
So, what is Bryant's fantasy value at this point?
In dynasty leagues, he is one of the top prospects to own simply because of his potential at a scarce position such as third base. But what about normal leagues, is he going to be called up this year?
The Sporting News believes he will be called up before the season ends, and despite the Cubs not going anywhere this year, it makes sense to bring him up in September to give him a taste of the big leagues without sacrificing his "rookie" eligibility.
Either way, it's not too long before we see another tweet like this, just addressed to the Chicago Cubs.
If Bryant is called up this season, be sure to add him as soon as you have the chance. He has the potential to be a 40 plus home run bat, which is hard to come by in today's MLB. Will he hit .340 at the next level? Probably not, but he has dominated everywhere he has been, so the potential is there. Expect to see him next year at the latest, so keep an eye on him in keeper leagues.