AB | 133 |
---|---|
AVG | .218 |
OBP | .323 |
SLG | .301 |
HR | 2 |
- Full name Kristopher Lee Bryant
- Born 01/04/1992 in Las Vegas, NV
- Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School San Diego
- Debut 04/17/2015
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Drafted in the 1st round (2nd overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2013 (signed for $6,708,400).
View Draft Report
Bryant has shown huge raw power since his high school days in Las Vegas, and has blossomed into college baseball's premier slugger. He posted a 1.081 OPS and nine homers as a freshmen, then a 1.154 OPS and 14 long balls as a sophomore, but he has taken his game to new heights as a junior, posting a 1.357 OPS and 25 home runs (seven more than any other Division I player) through 49 games. Opponents have pitched him very carefully, but he has remained patient, posting a 56-31 walk-strikeout mark. Bryant's best tool is his plus-plus righthanded power, allowing him to launch towering shots over the light standard in left field or hit balls over the fence to the opposite field. He has adopted a wider base and a simpler approach at the plate this year, and he has impressed scouts with his ability to turn on inside fastballs or go the other way with sliders over the outer half. His plate discipline and ability to consistently barrel up a variety of pitches make him a safe bet to be at least an average hitter, and many scouts think he'll be better than that. Bryant's arm gives him another above-average tool. His athleticism gives him at least a chance to stick at third, although he'll need plenty more repetitions to master the position. Some scouts project him as a prototypical right fielder. He has average speed and can be faster under way, and he has shown good instincts in right and center.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The Cubs did plenty of due diligence on drafting Bryant out of high school in 2010, under their previous administration, scouting him heavily out of Las Vegas' Bonanza High. The price wasn't right, as it turned out, for any team, and Bryant bypassed the Blue Jays (who drafted him in the 18th round) to go to San Diego. A three-year starter who also played for USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team, Bryant turned a corner in 2013, leading the nation in home runs (31) as well as walks, total bases and slugging percentage while playing third base, right field and center field for the Toreros. The No. 2 overall pick in 2013 signed for a Cubs club-record $6,708,400, then hit nine homers in his pro debut and was MVP of the Arizona Fall League. All he did for an encore was become the second player to win the Baseball America College and Minor League Player of the Year awards in consecutive years'--the other being Alex Gordon in 2005- 06--leading the minors with 43 home runs, 78 extra-base hits, a .661 slugging percentage and 1.098 OPS while ranking second with a .438 on-base percentage. Bryant's biggest adjustment as an amateur was spreading out and simplifying his swing, and while he has some holes, as most tall sluggers do, his approach and pitch recognition make him an above-average hitter with lethal all-fields power. No one in the minor leagues gets to their raw power as much as Bryant, a baseball grinder whose father Mike played in the minors in the early 1980s and who works as a hitting coach in Las Vegas, having mentored Rangers No. 1 prospect Joey Gallo, among others. While Gallo, like last year's Cubs' top prospect Javier Baez, always seems to be seeing how far he can hit it, Bryant has an all-fields approach that belies his experience level. He works at his craft, soaking up coaches' information and applying it in ways that earns respect from coaches and teammates. Bryant's athleticism makes him an average defender at third base, where he's improved on balls in front of him, features an easy plus arm and ranges well to his left. He's not as good going to his right, and few tall, lanky players his size have stayed at the hot corner in the majors. His average speed--he's easy to grade because he runs virtually every ball out--would suit him well if he moves to the outfield, and he'd profile in right. Bryant's makeup earns nearly as many plaudits as his power, both for his work ethic and love of the game, which go hand in hand. The Cubs have a surplus of athletic infielders who can hit, and it's conceivable either big league shortstops Baez and Starlin Castro or Double-A shortstop Addison Russell could wind up at third base, with Bryant shifting to the outfield. Bryant also could stay at third, where Luis Valbuena is keeping the hot corner warm in Chicago. Barring a poor start back at Triple-A Iowa, Bryant should arrive on the North Side as soon as the Cubs deem it financially feasible. Bryant has the talent, confidence and makeup to be one of the game's biggest stars. All he's waiting for is the playing time. -
Bryant was an 18th-round pick out of Las Vegas' Bonanza High in 2010 but attended San Diego instead. After hitting 23 home runs in his first two seasons, Bryant was BA's College Player of the Year as a junior, leading the nation in home runs (31), walks, total bases and slugging. The Cubs drafted him No. 2 overall, and he got the largest signing bonus in franchise history and in the 2013 draft, $6,708,400. He hit nine homers in his debut and helped high Class A Daytona win the Florida State League title. Tall, lean and athletic, Bryant has all-star tools. He adjusted as a junior by spreading out in the batter's box, lowering his head and eliminating pre-swing movement. He can still get a bit uphill with his swing but now punishes the low ball. He has the leverage and loft in his swing to produce 40 homers annually while being an above-average hitter. Bryant's easy arm strength fits well at third base, and he has solid infield actions, but he's tall for the position and some scouts consider him a better fit for right field. He played some right and even center field in college thanks to his average speed and long strides. Bryant's torrid Arizona Fall League tour indicates he is on the fast track to Wrigley Field. If he moves quickly, he likely will shift to an outfield corner.
Draft Prospects
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Bryant has shown huge raw power since his high school days in Las Vegas, and has blossomed into college baseball's premier slugger. He posted a 1.081 OPS and nine homers as a freshmen, then a 1.154 OPS and 14 long balls as a sophomore, but he has taken his game to new heights as a junior, posting a 1.357 OPS and 25 home runs (seven more than any other Division I player) through 49 games. Opponents have pitched him very carefully, but he has remained patient, posting a 56-31 walk-strikeout mark. Bryant's best tool is his plus-plus righthanded power, allowing him to launch towering shots over the light standard in left field or hit balls over the fence to the opposite field. He has adopted a wider base and a simpler approach at the plate this year, and he has impressed scouts with his ability to turn on inside fastballs or go the other way with sliders over the outer half. His plate discipline and ability to consistently barrel up a variety of pitches make him a safe bet to be at least an average hitter, and many scouts think he'll be better than that. Bryant's arm gives him another above-average tool. His athleticism gives him at least a chance to stick at third, although he'll need plenty more repetitions to master the position. Some scouts project him as a prototypical right fielder. He has average speed and can be faster under way, and he has shown good instincts in right and center.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The jewel of a loaded Cubs system, Bryant should begin impacting the big league club's fortunes in 2015, one year after leading the minors with 43 home runs and winning the BA Minor League Player of the Year award. Bryant has plus-plus power, a plus arm that allows him to profile at the infield and outfield corners and good strike-zone coverage despite a high strikeout total. One rival PCL manager said Bryant has the most power he had ever seen in the league, while Iowa manager Marty Pevey said Bryant has plus power to all fields. "Obviously, his power is hard to replicate," a scout said. "Only (the Rangers' Joey) Gallo in the minors has more raw power, (but) Bryant has feel to hit and uses the whole field." While some scouts rave about his athleticism in the dirt, one evaluator said Bryant has range restrictions and trouble moving laterally at third base. "I would not speak glowingly of his defense," he said. "He'd be an average third baseman, but an above-average right fielder." -
For the second straight year, a Cubs prospect who spent half the season at Tennessee led the minors in extra-base hits. Bryant collected 78 in all, surpassing by three Javier Baez's total from 2013, while also leading the minors in home runs (43), slugging (.661) and OPS (1.098). He earned a second-half promotion to Triple-A Iowa and won the BA Minor League Player of the Year award. In the tradition of hard-hitting college third basemen such as Alex Gordon or Mark Teixeira, Bryant won't require much minor league time. While the hot corner might not be Bryant's ultimate position, SL evaluators favorably reviewed his double-plus arm and defensive agility. Bryant's big righthanded bat will play no matter where he settles on the diamond. His leveraged, upper-cut swing is designed to launch the ball in the air with plus power to all fields, and half of his 22 homers in the SL went out either to center or right field. One scout said Bryant had the fastest bat in the league, which will enable him to hit for average even though he projects to strike out as much as a quarter of the time. "We wanted to pitch him away (to try to neutralize his power), but he hit the ball so hard the other way that we decided to go back inside," Chattanooga manager Razor Shines said. "That was a mistake, too. He's going to swing and miss, but if the pitcher doesn't hit his spots, then he's going to pay the price." -
The Golden Spikes Award winner and BA College Player of the Year easily led the nation with 31 home runs in the spring, then dazzled in a 77 plate-appearance stretch in the NWL. Fans and even opposing players and staffs would stop everything to watch him take batting practice, and he often showed the same power in games. ?He killed us. You can see why the Cubs took him (second overall),? Vancouver?s McCullough said. ?He?s just a monster?the best looking hitter we saw all year. With Peterson and Renfroe, you could make good pitches and have a chance, but Bryant hit everything.? Much of Bryant?s power is to right-center field. Boise manager Gary Van Tol said Bryant, who signed for more than $6.7 million, is ?still a puppy? and has room to get stronger and the makeup to succeed in the big leagues. On offense, Bryant was lauded for having excellent leverage and a body frame that will only bring more power. Defensively, Bryant showed plus arm strength and good range with an understanding of how to make his throws.
Top 100 Rankings
Best Tools List
- Rated Best Defensive 3B in the Pacific Coast League in 2014
- Rated Best Power Prospect in the Southern League in 2014
- Rated Best Batting Prospect in the Southern League in 2014
- Rated Best Infield Arm in the Southern League in 2014
- Rated Most Exciting Player in the Southern League in 2014
- Rated Best Infield Arm in the Milwaukee Brewers in 2014
- Rated Best Infield Arm in the Chicago Cubs in 2014