This just in: Kris Bryant is good. Bryant won the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year, and is taking things to another level in his second big-league season with the Chicago Cubs.
On Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark, Bryant went 5-for-5 at the dish, with three homers, and two doubles. Get this: No one else in major-league history has ever hit three homers and two doubles in one game.
Bryant 1st player in ML history to hit 3 HRs and 2 doubles in a game. 1st player in franchise history to have 5 extra base hits in a game.
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) June 28, 2016
Kris Bryant doing unprecedented things (via @paul_boye) pic.twitter.com/s6cSHXOmU4
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) June 28, 2016
Kris Bryant has now done something that Ruth, Mays, Aaron, Williams, Musial, & Bonds never did. Have five extra-base hits in a single game.
— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) June 28, 2016
That’s 16 total bases on the night for Bryant, which is a Cubs franchise record.
16 total bases for @KrisBryant_23 tonight is a #Cubs franchise record (previously 14). pic.twitter.com/bkeqE8Ur85 — #VoteCubs (@Cubs) June 28, 2016
Kris Bryant has 16 total bases tonight. That’s 4 more than anyone else has had in a game this season — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 28, 2016
Prior to Kris Bryant tonight, last player with 16+ Total Bases in a game was Josh Hamilton 5/8/2012 (18 TB; 4 Home Runs, Double)
— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) June 28, 2016
Here’s video of Bryant’s second homer of the night:
KRIS BRYANT UPPER DECK!!! 2nd HR tonight #Cubs pic.twitter.com/hYupPLl2YO — Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) June 28, 2016
And the third Bryant dinger of the evening:
Make that THREE homers for Kris Bryant.
It’s a new career high ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/ysOFXxZNqY
— 120 Sports (@120Sports) June 28, 2016
And Jason Heyward trying to push Bryant out for a curtain call, on the road (h/t: @thrillbarton and @MSchwerha):
On the season, Bryant now leads position players in WAR (per FanGraphs) at 3.9. So, if he keeps this up, he’s going to have a pretty great MVP case when the season ends.
UPDATE: After the game (which the Cubs won 11-8), Bryant gave the game bat (or at least one of his bats) to a kid:
Watch what Bryant did for this kid. Now that’s cool shit. pic.twitter.com/auapH1PC5U
— Voice of reason (@Mrocks8Sonny) June 28, 2016