Levine: Cubs' Kris Bryant Named NL MVP
By Bruce Levine--
(CBS) The Cubs had at least 25 valuable players during their journey to their first World Series championship since 1908, but none was more essential to winning on and everyday basis than third baseman Kris Bryant.
On Thursday, Bryant was rewarded for his phenomenal 2016 season, being named the National League's Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Bryant was nearly a unanimous choice, receiving 29 of the 30 first-place votes and finishing with 415 total points. He outpaced Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy (245 points) and Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager (240). Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was fourth with 202 points. Cubs shortstop Addison Russell drew one sixth-place vote, while Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks garnered one ninth-place vote.
The versatile 24-year-old Bryant submitted big traditional counting stats and also numbers that the sabermetric community greatly values. He hit .292 with 39 homers (third in NL), 102 RBIs (sixth), 121 runs (first) and a .939 OPS (fourth). His 8.4 WAR led the NL and was second in baseball, per Fangraphs.com.
On top of that, Bryant wowed with the eye test and his everyday brilliance, excelling in many important areas. Notably, Bryant's versatility -- he had 47 starts in the outfield -- allowed Cubs manager Joe Maddon to exploit favorable matchups, give others proper rest and be creative late in games without giving up anything offensively or defensively. Bryant actually played six different positions in the regular season, including a cameo appearance at shortstop.
"I really enjoy playing any of the positions Joe asks of me," Bryant said in September. "I am a third baseman and love playing there. The challenge of playing the other spots and helping the team win is exciting as well."
Winning awards is nothing new for the easy-going Bryant. He was named Baseball America's College Player of the Year in 2013, when the Cubs took him second overall in the draft. To end his first tune-up in the minors, he garnered MVP honors in the Arizona Fall League in November 2013. He was named the Minor League Player of the Year by multiple outlets and publications in 2014, then won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2015.
"We have a room at home, they all go into," Bryant has said previously of his hardware. "We will put some of the special ones in a different spot. I am always honored when people recognize my play on the field."
Bryant's special skills are on display every day, and you gain a greater appreciation when you watch him regularly. Busting it out of the batter's box has netted Bryant 20 infield hits in the past two seasons, and his hustle helped make a difference on the ultimate stage. In the decisive Game 7 of the World Series, two base-running plays by Bryant proved crucial. He scored from third on a shallow sacrifice fly to left field in the fourth inning, then raced home all the way from first base on an Anthony Rizzo single just an inning later.
No commitment is too trivial to Bryant. He's always gracious to those around him, the media included, and willing to share his time.
Bryant is the 10th player in Cubs history to win MVP and the first since Sammy Sosa in 1998. The Cubs have garnered the MVP award 11 times, as Ernie Banks won it twice, in 1958 and 1959. At 24, Bryant is the youngest winner in franchise history.
If Bryant had his way, he'd likely break up the trophy into 25 separate pieces to share the honor and glory with his teammates.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
