The Chicago Cubs have had a busy MLB offseason and are ready for the 2016 season to get underway. Looking ahead at a quick preview there is a big question. Can third baseman Kris Bryant live up to the high expectations that are surrounding him?
Bryant ended up winning the Rookie of the Year Award in the National League and rightfully so. He was able to bring top-notch power to go along with clutch hitting throughout the year. During the playoffs he cooled off in a big way, but every single rookie deals with struggles at some points during their first seasons.
Following his Rookie of the Year winning season, the expectation is that Bryant will take the league by storm this season and emerge as the next big thing.
Answering whether Bryant is ready to live up to those expectations or not is a very difficult task. There is no denying that Bryant has superstar caliber talent, but he is still 24 years old and playing in just his second MLB season. Chicago cannot expect too terribly much from him, although improvement is something that should happen after a full offseason of work.
Throughout the course of the 2015 MLB season, Bryant ended up putting up solid all-around numbers. He recorded a .275 batting average to go along with 26 home runs and 99 RBI's. Obviously those numbers show a bit of the talent that Bryant has moving forward, but he is nowhere near reaching the top of his potential.
First of all, Bryant has an excellent work ethic and that showed throughout his rookie season. He will continue working hard and that alone will help him take a leap forward from last year.
Secondly, the Cubs have one of the best coaching staffs in all of baseball. Joe Maddon knows how to unlock potential and that is what he will try to do with Bryant. Working with him one-on-one and motivating the young slugger is likely what Maddon has been doing all offseason long.
Finally, the Cubs made moves to make their offense better for players like Bryant and Anthony Rizzo to dominate. Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist will get on base much more often, which will result in more chances for Bryant to pad his numbers.
All of that being said, the answer has to be that Bryant definitely will live up to the hype and expectations.
Expect to see Bryant and the Cubs have yet another exciting and entertaining season this year. Bryant has to take on a bit more of a leadership role for the Cubs and will take the next step as a player as well.
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