Emma: Kris Bryant Striving For Better In Stellar Rookie Season
By Chris Emma--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- With the crack of a bat that echoed like thunder through Wrigley Field, Kris Bryant knew he hit a home run. The Cubs' rookie star simply dropped his head and trotted around the bases.
Bryant didn't look to see that his tape-measure shot went 495 feet off the video board in left-center field. He declined to admire the home run that brought the ballpark into a frenzy and silenced the Cubs' dugout into a state of awe.
"It's just never been part of my game," Bryant said after the Cubs' 6-4 win against the Diamondbacks on Sunday. "I don't believe in showing up your opponent."
Too bad for Bryant, because he missed out on quite the feat. His home run marked the longest in baseball this season, one that came close to clearing the video board. Sammy Sosa has the only four-bagger to ever reach Kenmore Avenue -- which runs north-south just beyond Waveland Avenue -- but Bryant's likely would've hit the road had the video board not been put in place.
Manager Joe Maddon characterized the 495-foot measurement "a misconception." Starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks was left nearly speechless.
"That was a bomb," Hendricks said. "He got all of that one."
Consider it a statement to Bryant's drive for improvement. He's constantly striving to be better.
What fans see from Bryant is natural talent. It takes a special hitter to send a baseball nearly 500 feet from home plate, but Bryant has put in the work to be better in his first MLB season. He has worked with Cubs coaches John Mallee and Eric Hinske to tweak his approach.
"It's totally night and day," Maddon said. "And give KB a lot of credit for being open-minded to the whole moment."
Rookies in baseball often scuffle early in their careers when scouting reports become more detailed tendencies. Opposing pitchers learn how to approach each at-bat, developing an idea for a hitter's strengths and weaknesses. In baseball, the concept of a sophomore slump often develops because of this.
Bryant has countered by studying how opposing pitchers have attacked him. He's learning their tendencies and what pitches to expect each time at the plate.
"It's just a cat-and-mouse game," Bryant said. "I'm just trying to figure out how they're pitching me. They're pitching at me different every time I play, so it's just making adjustment son the fly, learning from mistakes."
In his rookie season, Bryant owns a .267 batting average with 23 home runs and 86 RBIs, the latter of which ties Billy Williams and Geovany Soto for the Cubs' rookie record. Bryant also boasts an .855 OPS, and his 5.1 WAR entering Sunday ranks 13th among position players in Fangraphs' marks.
In July, Bryant endured the first struggles in his professional baseball career, striking out in 33.3 percent of his at-bats. Pitchers were working him low in the strike zone, and Bryant often was left chasing.
Bryant adjusted by attempting to make his swing more level, so he can increase contact. His extraordinary homer came on an 0-2 pitch from the Diamondbacks' Rubby De La Rosa, who hadn't surrendered a hit through four innings. Bryant was just trying to protect the plate and put a good swing out. The ball was properly struck, as Maddon often states.
"I don't know if I've ever seen that, to be honest," catcher Miguel Montero said.
It's highly likely that Bryant will leave the first season in baseball with NL Rookie of the Year honors. He's been terrific throughout his time in the big leagues, but that doesn't mean he's satisfied. Even with immense talents, Bryant is finding ways he can grow.
"There's a lot of stuff I can improve on," he said. "I'd like to make more contact, but I realize strikeouts are a part of my game. I think this year's kind of establishing a base line to know where I can learn and get better from, areas I can improve."
Big moments have been frequent for Bryant. He found the regional cover of Sports Illustrated for a walk-off home run on Aug. 24 and has established himself as one of baseball's brightest young stars. Sunday's moon shot was yet another milestone for this special season, but only another mark in his goals for growth.
The soon-to-be NL Rookie of the Year, Bryant has been stellar this season, but he isn't looking up to admire anything -- not when there's work to be done.
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.
