Kris Bryant
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Kristopher Lee Bryant (born January 4, 1992), nicknamed "KB", is an American professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...
,
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
, and
third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...
for the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
of
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
and
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. Prior to playing professionally, Bryant attended the
University of San Diego The University of San Diego (USD) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in San Diego, California, United States. Chartered in 1949 as the independent San Diego College for Women and San Diego University ...
, where he played
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
for the Toreros. Bryant starred in baseball for Bonanza High School. In college, he was named an
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
n in 2012 and 2013, and won the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award in 2013. The Cubs selected him with the second overall selection in the 2013 MLB draft, and he quickly became one of the top prospects in baseball, winning the ''USA Today'' Minor League Player of the Year Award and ''Baseball America'' Minor League Player of the Year Award in 2014. Bryant made his major league debut in 2015. He was named an MLB All-Star and won the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
's (NL) Rookie of the Year Award. He was again named an All-Star in 2016, won a
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
championship with the Cubs, and was named the NL's Most Valuable Player. The Cubs traded him to the Giants in 2021, and he then signed a seven-year contract with the Rockies prior to the 2022 season.


Early life

Bryant attended Bonanza High School in the
Las Vegas Valley The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in the Southern Nevada, southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the second largest in the Southwestern United States. The state's largest urban agglomeration, the Las Vegas Metropolitan St ...
. Playing for the school's varsity
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
team all four years, he recorded a .418
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, a .958
slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...
(SLG), 103 hits, and 47 career
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s. He also played
American Legion Baseball American Legion Baseball is a variety of amateur baseball played by 13-to-19-year-olds in fifty states in the U.S. and Canada. More than 3,500 teams participate each year. The American Legion Department of South Dakota established the program in 1 ...
. ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' named him to their All-USA baseball first-team in 2010. The
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
selected Bryant in the 18th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. He did not sign, and enrolled at the
University of San Diego The University of San Diego (USD) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in San Diego, California, United States. Chartered in 1949 as the independent San Diego College for Women and San Diego University ...
, to play
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
for the San Diego Toreros baseball team.


College career

As a freshman at the University of San Diego in 2011, Bryant had a .365
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, a .482
on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...
(OBP), and a .599 SLG, with nine home runs. He was named a freshman
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
by
Louisville Slugger Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
and the
West Coast Conference The West Coast Conference (WCC) — known as the California Basketball Association from 1952 to 1956 and then as the West Coast Athletic Conference until 1989 — is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I consisting o ...
(WCC) Co-Freshman of the Year and Co-Player of the Year, sharing both honors with Marco Gonzales. Following his freshman season at San Diego, Bryant played
collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
for the Chatham Anglers of the
Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...
, where he batted 29-for-130 (.223) with three home runs and 16
runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
(RBIs). As a sophomore in 2012, Bryant batted .366 with a .671 SLG, 14 home runs, and 57 RBIs. He was again named first team All-WCC and he was also named a first-team All-American by ''
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
''. That summer, Bryant was selected by
USA Baseball The United States Baseball Federation, doing business as USA Baseball, is a 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that acts as the national Sports governing body, governing body for baseball in the United States. USA Baseball ...
to play for the United States collegiate national team. In the 2013 season as a junior, Bryant hit 31 home runs to lead the nation. Bryant had the most home runs hit by a college player since the NCAA switched to a BBCOR composite bat in 2011. Bryant broke the previous record of 30 set by Georgia Southern's Victor Roache in 2011 and amounted to more home runs than 223 of 296 Division I teams hit that season. Bryant won the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy, which are both awarded to the top collegiate player in the nation. He was also named a
Louisville Slugger Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
First Team All-American, the ''Collegiate Baseball'' Player of the Year, and the
American Baseball Coaches Association The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) is the world's largest Amateur baseball in the United States, amateur baseball Manager (baseball), coaching organization. It was founded in 1945 as the American Association of College Baseball Coach ...
(ABCA) Player of the Year.


Professional career


Draft and minor leagues

Bryant was considered to be one of the best available players in the
2013 Major League Baseball draft The 2013 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 6 through June 8, 2013. The first two rounds were broadcast from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. Each team received one selection per round, going in reverse order of ...
. The
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
, who had the first overall pick, scouted Bryant. Bryant believed he would be chosen by the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
, who had the third selection of the draft. After the Astros selected pitcher Mark Appel with the first overall selection, the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
chose Bryant with the second pick. This choice was surprising as the Cubs were expected to select a pitcher. The Cubs later acknowledged that they would have selected Appel had he still been available. Many baseball executives and scouts agreed that Bryant was the safest pick in the draft. He was also rated as the best hitter in the draft because of his abilities hitting for power and making contact on inside
fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch (baseball), pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. Its distinctive feature is its high speed. "Power pitchers," such as former major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, relied on the ...
s as well as down-and-away curveballs. Bryant and the Cubs came to terms on a contract with a $6.7 million
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
two days prior to the signing deadline. Bryant began his professional career with the
Boise Hawks The Boise Hawks are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. Home games are played at Memorial Stadium in unincorporated Ada County, Idaho, near ...
of the Class A-Short Season
Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseba ...
, where he batted .354 with four home runs. He was promoted to the Daytona Cubs of the
Class A-Advanced High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...
Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
on August 12. He hit .333 with five home runs for Daytona. After the season, he played in
Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...
(AFL). He was named co-player of the week, along with Mitch Haniger, in the first week of the fall league season. He was named the MVP of the AFL after hitting .364/.457/.727 with six home runs in 20 games. Bryant started 2014 with the
Tennessee Smokies The Knoxville Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The team was based in Kodak, Tennessee, a Knoxville suburb, fr ...
of the
Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League B ...
Southern League. In June, he won the Home Run Derby and participated in the All-Star game. On June 18, the Cubs promoted Bryant to the
Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...
of the Class AAA
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
after batting .355 with 22 home runs and 58 RBIs in 68 games with Tennessee. He played in the
All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...
in July. At the end of the regular season, Bryant's 43 combined home runs between Tennessee and Iowa won him the Joe Bauman Home Run Award. Bryant was named the ''USA Today'' Minor League Player of the Year and ''Baseball America'' Minor League Player of the Year. ''Baseball America'' named him the No. 1 prospect in 2015. Bryant was invited to spring training by the Cubs in 2015. In 40 at-bats, he hit nine home runs, which led all players. He had a .425 with a .477 on-base percentage and a 1.175 slugging percentage. Despite his performance, the Cubs elected to send Bryant back down to Iowa. Baseball analysts assumed that the service-time rules in baseball were the majority influence on the team's decision; if Bryant were to play 12 days in the minors before being promoted to the majors, the Cubs would receive another year of club control. The MLBPA issued a statement saying, "Today is a bad day for baseball". In seven games with the Iowa, Bryant hit three home runs and batted .321.


Chicago Cubs (2015–2021)


2015 season

On April 17, 2015, Bryant was called up to the majors by the Cubs. He made his debut that day at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. The next day at Wrigley, Bryant recorded his first hit, an RBI single. Bryant hit his first major league home run on May 9, off
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
' Kyle Lohse. His second home run came two days later at Wrigley Field against the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
off Jacob deGrom. Bryant finished the month of May with a .265 batting average, seven home runs, 22 RBIs, and 16 walks, and was named the NL Rookie of the Month for May. Bryant's first career grand slam came on June 17 in the ninth inning off David Murphy in a 17–0 win against the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. In a July 4 game against the
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
, Bryant hit both a two-run home run and his second grand slam of the season off Jarred Cosart. This made him the second Cubs rookie to hit two grand slams since Billy Williams in
1961 Events January * January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union. * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...
. Bryant was selected as an injury replacement selection for Giancarlo Stanton on the National League roster of the
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
in
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
,
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
. He also participated in the
Home Run Derby The Home Run Derby is an annual home run hitting competition in Major League Baseball (MLB) customarily held the day before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, MLB All-Star Game, which places the contest on a Monday in July. In the context ...
. On July 25, against the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
, Bryant flew out at the warning track for the last out of Cole Hamels'
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...
. On July 27, Bryant hit his first career walk-off home run, a two-run shot, off John Axford in a 9–8 win over the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
. On September 6, against the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
, Bryant hit a home run, the longest of the 2015 MLB season, off Rubby De La Rosa. With the home run, Bryant tied Williams (1961) and Geovany Soto (2008), for the Cubs' franchise single-season RBI record for
rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience, a rookie is typically considered needing more tra ...
s with 86. On September 11, he broke the record by driving in a run with a double. On September 22, Bryant passed Williams for the most home runs by a Cubs rookie, with 26. In 151 games of his first season in the Majors, Bryant batted .275 with 26 home runs, 31 doubles, and 99 RBIs, which were the most for a rookie since
Albert Pujols José Alberto Pujols Alcántara (, ; born December 11, 1985) is a Dominicans, Dominican professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former first baseman and designated hitter who is the manager of the Leones del Escogido of the Domin ...
's 130 for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001. Bryant struck out 199 times, which led the National League and set a new rookie record. He had the lowest contact percentage on his swings in the major leagues (66.3%). According to sales on Major League Baseball's official website, Bryant had the best-selling jersey in all of baseball during the 2015 regular season. With the Cubs finishing the season, 97–65, the team clinched a Wild Card spot in the
MLB postseason The Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason is the annual playoff elimination tournament held to determine the champion of MLB in the United States and Canada. Since 2022, the postseason for each league— American and National—consists of tw ...
, their first playoff berth in seven years. Despite Bryant not having any hits in the 2015 National League Wild Card Game, the Cubs shut out the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
, 4–0, and advanced to the 2015 National League Division Series (NLDS) where, in Game 3, Bryant hit a two-run home run against the rival St. Louis Cardinals to help the Cubs to an 8–6 win. The Cubs won the series-winning three-games-to-one, but lost to the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
in the 2015 National League Championship Series (NLCS) in a four-game sweep. Bryant was named the ''Baseball America'' Rookie of the Year for the 2015 season, making him the first in history to win the ''Baseball America'' college player, minor league player, and major league rookie of the year awards in successive seasons. He was voted the "Esurance MLB Awards" Best Rookie – by fans, the media, former players, team front-office personnel, and the
Society for American Baseball Research The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and statistical record of baseball. The organization was founded in Cooperstown, New York, on Au ...
(SABR). Bryant won the ''
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'' Rookie of the Year Award for the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
, becoming the first Cub to earn it since Soto in 2008. Further, he was the unanimous winner from the
Baseball Writers' Association of America The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) is a professional association for journalists writing about Major League Baseball for daily newspapers, magazines, and qualifying websites. The organization was founded in 1908 and is known fo ...
(BBWAA) of the
Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first Black American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the Baseball color line, ...
National League Rookie of the Year Award, becoming the 11th National League player to win by a unanimous vote and the 20th player overall. He was also named by his fellow players as the "Players Choice Awards" National League Outstanding Rookie. After the 2015 season, Bryant filed a grievance against the Cubs for delaying his call-up to the majors for the purpose of delaying his free agency, accusing the team of service time manipulation. About the grievance Bryant said, "For me it’s just important to continue to go out there and do what I do, so that I can help the team in any way possible in where we’re at today," Bryant added, "It's just important for me to not even worry about it right now because it takes away from so much of what we have going this year. And that was last year’s news." , the grievance had yet to reach a hearing. The grievance was finally heard in January 2020, with the arbitrator ruling against Bryant.


2016 season: NL MVP

The Cubs gave Bryant a $652,000 salary for the 2016 season, a 38% increase over his rookie salary. On June 27, 2016, against the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
, Bryant became the first MLB player in modern history to hit three home runs and two doubles in the same game; he was 5-for-5 overall with 16 total bases in the 11–8 win. After leading the National League with 25 home runs in the first half of the season, he was selected to his second consecutive
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
, and first as the starting third baseman. He hit a first-inning home run off Chris Sale of the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
, his first career home run in an All-Star Game. In the opening game of a late August series against the
National League West The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created for the 1969 season when the National League (baseball), National League (NL) expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montr ...
-division-leading
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, Bryant hit an eighth-inning home run to tie the game and the winning two-run home run in the 10th inning for a 6–4 victory. From the All-Star Break to the start of September, Bryant had a batting average of .346. On August 18, he became the second player in major league history to record five hits and five RBIs in two games in one season, joining
1945 1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat. Events World War II will be ...
MVP Phil Cavarretta of the Cubs. In August, as the Cubs went 22–6, Bryant batted .383, 1.220 OPS, 10 home runs, 22 RBI, and 29 runs scored. He was named the National League Player of the Month for August, his first Player of the Month award. Overall, he led the league with 121 runs scored and 7.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) per Baseball-Reference.com, and finished third with 39 home runs and 334 total bases and fourth with a .554 slugging percentage and .939 OPS. He also batted .292 and drove in 102 runs. In each of those categories, Bryant's statistics represented improvements over his rookie season totals. He was 9th in the NL with 154 strikeouts. The Cubs won the
National League Central The National League Central is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the National League West (the Cincinnati Reds and the Houston Astros) and three teams from the National Le ...
division title. Bryant recorded hits in all four games against the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
in the 2016 NLDS. With the Cubs trailing 5–3 in the ninth inning of Game 3, Bryant hit a two-run home run against
Sergio Romo Sergio Francisco Romo (born March 4, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, Oakland ...
, helping send the game to extra innings, though the Giants would prevail in 13. In Game 4 with the Cubs down 5–2, Bryant singled to start a four-run rally in the top of the 9th, scoring on a double by Ben Zobrist, as the Cubs advanced to the
2016 NLCS The 2016 National League Championship Series was a Playoff format#Best-of-seven playoff, best-of-seven playoff in Major League Baseball’s 2016 Major League Baseball postseason, 2016 postseason in which the overall #1 seed 2016 Chicago Cubs sea ...
. The Cubs then won the National League pennant—for the first time since
1945 1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat. Events World War II will be ...
—by defeating the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, 4-games-to-2. In the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
, the Cubs came back from a 3-games-to-1 deficit and defeated the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. Bryant fielded the last ball of the 2016 season and threw to first baseman Anthony Rizzo, which completed their first championship victory after a 108-year-long drought. During the 2016 postseason, Bryant hit for a .308 average with three home runs and eight RBIs. Bryant concluded the 2016 season by winning the National League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in his second year in the major leagues. He became the first player to win a Golden Spikes Award, a ''Baseball America'' Minor League Player of the Year Award, a Rookie of the Year Award, and a Most Valuable Player Award in successive seasons. In addition, he became the sixth player in MLB history to win Rookie of the Year and MVP within his first two seasons, joining
Fred Lynn Fredric Michael Lynn (born February 3, 1952) is an American former professional baseball center fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), mostly with the Boston Red Sox and the California Angels. He was the first player to wi ...
(both in 1975), Cal Ripken Jr. (1982–83), Ichiro Suzuki (both in 2001), Ryan Howard (2005–06), and Dustin Pedroia (2007–08). Bryant also won the Hank Aaron Award as the National League's most outstanding hitter.


2017 season

Bryant and the Cubs agreed to a $1.05 million contract before the 2017 season, a new record salary for a pre-arbitration player, previously held by
Mike Trout Michael Nelson Trout (born August 7, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Trout is an 11-time Major League Baseball All-Star Game, All-Star, three-time American League (A ...
of the
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
who earned $1 million in 2014. In 2017, Bryant finished second in fan voting to Nolan Arenado of the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
as the starting NL third baseman in the 2017 All-Star Game. He finished second in the All-Star Final Vote, behind Justin Turner, and did not make the All-Star team. Following the All Star Break, on July 25, Bryant was ejected for the first time in his major league career after arguing a third strike call. That August, MLB and the MLBPA introduced Players Weekend for the first time. Bryant chose to wear "KB" on his jersey. Finishing the regular season with a .295 average, 29 home runs, and 73 RBIs, the Cubs won their second consecutive Central Division title and earned their third consecutive appearance in the postseason. The Cubs defeated the Washington Nationals in the 2017 NLDS, with Bryant batting .200 in the series without a home run. The Cubs lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 NLCS. Bryant batted .200 with one home run in the NLCS.


2018 season

In his first year of salary arbitration, Bryant and the Cubs agreed to a $10.85 million salary for the 2018 season, breaking the record for a player in his first year of salary arbitration, previously held by Ryan Howard when he signed a $10 million contract in 2008 with the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
. In February, ''Sports Illustrated'' ranked Bryant as the third-overall best player in baseball, trailing
Mike Trout Michael Nelson Trout (born August 7, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Trout is an 11-time Major League Baseball All-Star Game, All-Star, three-time American League (A ...
and Jose Altuve. In a May 9 game against the
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
, Bryant hit his 100th home run, becoming the 22nd Cubs player to reach the mark, and the quickest to reach the mark. He hit his 100th home run in his 487th game, barely eclipsing the previous mark of 500 games set by Ernie Banks. On June 26, Bryant was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his MLB career due to left shoulder inflammation, retroactive three days prior. On July 26, Bryant went back on the disabled list due to inflammation on the same shoulder.


2019 season

Bryant had a slow start to 2019. After hitting a home run in the first regular season game against the Texas Rangers, his batting average through April 25 was .232, with a .730 on-base plus slugging percentage. Bryant's performance substantially improved heading into mid May. He hit seven home runs over the course of fifteen games, including a walk-off, three-run home run against the
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
on May 7. On May 18, Bryant hit three home runs in three consecutive innings in a game against the Washington Nationals. His 4-for-6 night extended his career-best on-base streak to 26 games. Bryant finished the 2019 season hitting .282/.382/.521 with 31 home runs, 77 runs batted in, and 108 runs scored. On defense, he had the lowest
fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...
of all major league third basemen (.947).


2020 season

In the 2020
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
-shortened season, Bryant batted .206/.293/.351 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 131 at-bats in 34 games.


2021 season

Bryant in the 2021 season for the Cubs played
first base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
(12 games) and
outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In bat and ball games ...
(63 games), along with
third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...
(29 games), due to the rise of Patrick Wisdom at third base. He was selected as an
All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
as he hit .267/.358/.503 with 58 runs, 18 home runs, and 51 RBIs throughout 93 games and 326 at bats with the Cubs.


San Francisco Giants (2021)

On July 30, 2021, the Cubs traded Bryant to the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
in exchange for prospects Alexander Canario and Caleb Kilian. On August 1, Bryant made his Giants debut. He played third base and went 1-for-4 with a home run in the third inning. In the 2021 season, playing for the Giants Bryant batted .262/.344/.444 with 28 runs, seven home runs, and 22 RBIs in 187 at bats, as he stole six bases in six attempts. He played 26 games at third base, 19 games in left field, 11 games in right field, and 5 games in center field.


Colorado Rockies (2022–present)

On March 18, 2022, Bryant signed a seven-year contract worth $182 million with the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
. It reportedly included a full no-trade clause. The Rockies quickly announced that he would be the club's starting left fielder. The deal, completed at a time when the Rockies would not be a serious contender in the following season after trading Nolan Arenado and not re-signing Trevor Story, came as a surprise. Sports journalist Buster Olney stated, "On a scale of 1 to 10, the industry shock over the Rockies' deal with Kris Bryant has been turned up to 11." Bryant has missed significant time due to injury during his time with Colorado. He played only 42 games in 2022, with a back issue causing over two months on two separate IL stints, and the last two months of the 2022 season lost due to
plantar fasciitis Plantar fasciitis or plantar heel pain is a disorder of the plantar fascia, which is the connective tissue that supports the Arches of the foot, arch of the foot. It results in pain in the heel and Sole (foot), bottom of the foot that is usuall ...
and a bone bruise in his right foot. That season, he slashed .306/.376/.475 with five home runs in 160 at-bats. In 2023, Bryant missed three months of the season, playing in only 80 games, with heel issues and then a broken finger from a Johnny Cueto pitch. He finished the season with a .233/.313/.367 slashline that included 10 home runs in 300 at-bats. Before the 2024 MLB season, Bryant told ''
The Athletic ''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports journalism department of ''The New York Times''. It provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories ...
'' that he wished he had taken more time to evaluate the Rockies' upcoming minor league prospects and the team's near-term inability to compete before he signed the seven-year deal. Bryant went on to play in 13 games before going on the injured list with a low back strain. He was activated from the injured list on May 21, after missing 31 games, and played until June 2 before being put onto the injured list again on June 6 with a lower rib contusion. He finished 2024 with a .218/.323/.301 slashline that included two home runs in 133 at-bats. Shortly thereafter, a sports columnist for the ''
Denver Post ''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in the Denver metropolitan area. it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 mil ...
'' opined that Bryant's contract was the worst in baseball. On April 14, 2025, Bryant was placed on the 10-day injured list due to his battles with lumbar
degenerative disc disease Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a medical condition typically brought on by the aging process in which there are anatomic changes and possibly a loss of function of one or more intervertebral discs of the vertebral column, spine. DDD can take ...
. Despite this setback and chronic back issues, Bryant states he has no plan to retire. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on May 11.


Charitable acts

In 2017, Bryant teamed up with Bryce Harper to help their hometown of Las Vegas in relief efforts assisting victims of a shooting at a music concert that left 58 people dead. Bryant and Harper used their platform to encourage people to donate to help Las Vegas with relief of the shooting. On Players Weekend in 2017, Bryant chose to wear three different cleats which promoted the Wings for Life Foundation, a non-profit organization that specializes in spinal cord research. Bryant has been heavily involved in this organization ever since 2011 when a friend of his, Cory Hahn, was paralyzed while a freshman playing baseball at Arizona State. In 2015, Bryant was awarded 2015 NL Outstanding Rookie from the Player Choice Awards. He chose to send the $20,000 from the Major League Baseball Players Trust to the Wounded Warrior Project.


Awards

* ABCA College Player of the Year (2013) * ''Baseball America'' College Player of the Year Award (2013) * ''Baseball America'' Major League Rookie of the Year (2015) * ''Baseball America'' Minor League Player of the Year (2014) * ''Collegiate Baseball'' Player of the Year (2013) * 2× College Baseball All-America Team (
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
,
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
) * Dick Howser Trophy (
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
) * Esurance MLB Award for Best Rookie (2015) * Golden Spikes Award (2013) * Joe Bauman Home Run Award (2014) * 3× MLB All-Star (
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
,
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
) *
MLB Player of the Month In Major League Baseball (MLB), the Player of the Month Award is given monthly during the regular season to two outstanding players, one each in the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and American League (AL). The NL first awarded t ...
(August 2016) * 2× MLB Rookie of the Month (May & August 2015) * National League Hank Aaron Award (2016) * National League
Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...
(2016) * National League Rookie of the Year (2015) * Players Choice Award for NL Outstanding Rookie (2015) * ''The Sporting News'' National League Rookie of the Year (2015) * ''USA Today'' Minor League Player of the Year Award (2014) *
World Series champion The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) and concludes the MLB postseason. First played in 1903, the World Series championship is a best-of-seven playoff and is a contest between the champions of base ...
(2016)


Personal life

Bryant was named his high school's
salutatorian Salutatorian is an academic title given in Armenia, the Philippines, Canada, Afghanistan and the United States to the second-highest-ranked graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. ...
, but allowed a classmate to take the role instead when he found out how badly she wanted it. In college, he majored in
biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...
before switching to
finance Finance refers to monetary resources and to the study and Academic discipline, discipline of money, currency, assets and Liability (financial accounting), liabilities. As a subject of study, is a field of Business administration, Business Admin ...
. Bryant's father, Mike, played in
minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
for the Boston Red Sox organization. Mike owned a patio furniture store but sold it in order to get a job that permitted him to coach his son. Bryant and fellow baseball players Bryce Harper and Joey Gallo (baseball), Joey Gallo grew up as acquaintances in the Las Vegas, Nevada, Las Vegas area and began playing baseball with each other at the age of 9. Bryant and Harper's friendly competition was displayed in the May 2015 series against the Washington Nationals at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
, when they greeted each other for the first time in the Major Leagues. Bryant proposed to long-time girlfriend Jessica Delp in December 2015. They both grew up in Las Vegas and had dated since they were 14. They were married on January 7, 2017, with one of the groomsmen being Bryant's teammate, Anthony Rizzo. They have three children: a son who was born in April 2020; and twin boys who were born on July 11, 2022. They reside in the Denver area.


See also

* 2013 College Baseball All-America Team * Chicago Cubs award winners and league leaders * List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders * List of people from Las Vegas * List of University of San Diego people


References


External links


San Diego Toreros bio
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Kris 1992 births Albuquerque Isotopes players 21st-century American sportsmen All-American college baseball players Arizona League Cubs players Baseball players from Nevada Boise Hawks players Chatham Anglers players Chicago Cubs players Colorado Rockies players Daytona Cubs players Golden Spikes Award winners Iowa Cubs players Living people Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Major League Baseball third basemen Mesa Solar Sox players National League All-Stars National League Most Valuable Player Award winners San Diego Toreros baseball players San Francisco Giants players Sportspeople from the Las Vegas Valley Tennessee Smokies players