Kris Bryant: MLB's Next Great Power Hitter

Chicago Cubs rookie, Kris Bryant, is looking to make noise in Major League Baseball this season. Baseball fans want to see highlights produced by stars, and Bryant is capable of just that. Baseball has seen a decline in popularity due to the recent lack of home run totals. In order for baseball to regain popularity among sports fans, transcendent power hitting talent must emerge.

Kris Bryant has the capability of joining Giancarlo Stanton and Mike Trout in being the most exciting players in baseball. Bryant, a third baseman and second overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, has put on a fantastic display of home run power in spring training just a few months after finishing a minor league season hitting 43 home runs. This spring alone, Bryant has posted 9 home runs and 15 RBI. 

What should the fans expect of Kris Bryant this season?

Bryant will likely spend the first two weeks of the MLB regular season back at the triple-A level in order for the Cubs to keep him with the club for seven seasons before reaching free agency. Though this means that Bryant is going to miss a few games in the first month of the season, he should start enough games following his call up to post and plate appearance numbers close to those posted by other everyday MLB starters.

Bryant's raw power should allow him to reach the 30 home run crest this season. His power is the most sure thing about his game. Bryant has struggled significantly on reducing his strikeout totals in the minor leagues, but his walk rate is high which indicates he is a selective hitter. Nevertheless, Bryant's strikeout rate being higher than 25 percent in the upper levels of the Cubs' minor league system is definitely concerning.

Bryant compares similarly to Giancarlo Stanton with both his size and ability to hit for power. Both players stand tall and athletic with the strength to be able to drive the ball to all fields. This spring, Bryant has shown a shorter swing path to the ball compared to Stanton's swing. This part of Bryant's game raises his ceiling of potential higher than Stanton's was at this point in his career. However, Bryant has yet to prove himself against legitimate MLB competition. 

Adding Kris Bryant to the mix of an already strong, young team in a big market like Chicago will help to make baseball more popular. Bryant's ability should complement teammate, and rising star, Anthony Rizzo on the path toward an ever elusive World Series title.