Chicago Cubs: Comparing Kris Bryant and Pete Alonso’s rookie seasons

Chicago Cubs: A tale of two superstars

It is no surprise how lucky the Cubs were when the Houston Astros selected starting pitcher Mark Appel first overall in 2013 and not Bryant. It allowed Theo Epstein to jump on the Bryant bandwagon and make him their third baseman of the future.

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The same can be said about Alonso. Although Alonso did not carry the same notoriety as Bryant, by the time Alonso fell into the end of the second round in 2016, it gave New York the opportunity they were looking for.

I remember Bryant’s first game vividly. Bryant, in a day game versus the San Diego Padres, finished 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Simply a debut to forget. However, in his next four games following Bryant hit .571 with six RBI and only one strikeout.

Alonso had a similar debut, although not as ugly. He finished 1-for-4 with two strikeouts. His next four games following, Alonso hit .429 with a home run and six RBI. Similar debuts, similar starts.

Over his first month in the Show, Bryant slashed .291/.426/.476 with four home runs and 24 RBI. He also managed to work 24 walks and posted a ridiculous 152 wRC+. Alonso, meanwhile, slashed .306/.398/.684 with nine home runs, 24 RBI, and posted a 179 wRC+. Each dominant in their own way.