Chicago Cubs: Reminiscing about Kris Bryant’s Top 5 moments

In a short time, Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant has already accomplished many great things. As he progresses, we can only expect many more wonderful moments.

As the 2013 Major League Baseball Amateur Player draft kicked off, it was no surprise who the Chicago Cubs would select with the number two overall pick. It was just a matter of if he was going to be available.

Following the Houston Astros’ selection of former college standout Mark Appel, destiny fell into Chicago’s hands, and the rest is history.

The Cubs and Kris Bryant are like peas and carrots. They’re synonymous. Harmonious. The idea of a Cubs team without Bryant is one which many would argue they do not wish to think about, and for good measure.

As a franchise, the Cubs have been at the helm of some fantastical moments over the past four years. In the present condition, so has Bryant. In honor of his 27th birthday this past weekend, here are Kris Bryant’s top five moments of his career.

Chicago Cubs: Welcome to the Show

The allure of the many accolades certainly stands tall for Bryant, as there are hardware winning moments which could be debated to take the top slot. As it were, Bryant’s debut ranks as number one of the top five list.

Understandably, Bryant had a debut to forget. Facing an aging James Shields, Bryant saw four at-bats, striking out three times. Of course, it may be challenging to believe this could be the number one moment. However, you cannot have a career without a debut, just like you cannot have sunshine without a little rain.

The future All-Star walked up to the plate for his first at-bat to a standing ovation, while ‘We Own It’ by 2 Chainz and Wiz Khalifa blared over the loudspeakers.

Bryant saw just three pitches going down swinging, the first of three strikeouts. It was not about the strikeouts that day but instead the future face of a franchise in need of a hero. Kris Bryant had officially arrived.

Chicago Cubs: Meet your 2015 NL Rookie of the Year

Bryant’s first full month in the majors certainly did not disappoint. While his debut was nothing to scoff at, at the end of that first month Bryant slashed a robust .291/.426/.476 with a ridiculous .902 OPS. He posted an incredible..395 wOBA and 152 wRC+ – impressive numbers for the then 23-year-old.

The best game perhaps of Bryant’s rookie season came on the fourth of July versus the Miami Marlins. In that contest, Bryant finished 2-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI. It was Bryant’s second multi-home run game as his first came just a week and a half earlier.

Bryant finished his rookie campaign with 151 games under his belt. He finished with a slash line of .275/.369/.488 with 26 home runs, 99 RBI, a .371 wOBA and above-average 136 wRC+.

The season was so solid for Bryant, he earned an All-Star nod, while easily beating out a relatively weak field for the National League Rookie of the Year. However, a substantial accomplishment for Bryant lands at number two.

Chicago Cubs: Kris Bryant, Lyft driver?

This moment is merely fun as it is one of the best and funniest moments in Bryant’s young major league career. During his rookie season, Bryant sped around the streets near Wrigley Field, going undercover as a Lyft driver for the afternoon and the result was hilarious.

Bryant had many interesting interactions, talking to the various individuals he picked up before driving them to their destination. One man asked him if he had seen him before, thinking they had taken a ride together.

Another asked him why he wasn’t in the pros after Bryant revealed he was pretty good at baseball. All in good fun, of course, and people were shocked when he announced his actual status.

The main takeaways from this are that Bryant both knows how to have fun, and the importance of building community. As the next big thing in Chicago, Bryant recognized the importance of getting to know the fans and creating that bond for the future.

Chicago Cubs: World Series champions at last

If someone had told Kris Bryant that in just his second year he was destined to win both the MVP and represent as a driving catalyst for the franchises first World Championship in 108 years, he probably wouldn’t have believed you. That is however what did happen.

The Cubs finished a major league-best 103-58, moving past the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers on their way to the World Series. For Bryant, there were many significant moments with his involvement.

Down three games to one and 1-0 in Game 5, Bryant launched a 1-1 fastball from starting pitcher Trevor Bauer to tie the game at a crucial point. It would help start the momentum to a victory. In Game 6, Bryant began to the fireworks immediately, sending a 0-2 curveball from starting pitcher Josh Tomlin to set the tone early. Bryant would finish with a four-hit night.

Finally, in Game 7, Bryant had countless many shining moments. The many solid plays with the leather, his hustle to account for two runs, his long sac-fly out which turned out to be decisive, the final ground ball to clinch the series. It seemed as though he was involved in one way or another.

In the postgame interview, Bryant called it “one of the best games anybody will ever see.” His leadership in just his second year shined through tenfold for the Cubs and their fans and gave them something to believe in once more – here’s to many more moments like this in the years to come.