The Rise And Fall Of Kris Bryant

Since signing with the Colorado Rockies, Kris Bryant’s career has gone from extraordinary highs to devastating lows. The former NL MVP has been hampered by injuries and has only appeared in 122 games in two seasons with the Rockies. It has been tough to watch considering all the success he had during his first seven seasons in the league. He’s even recently expressed some regret for signing the long-term contract with the Rockies. Sadly, as quickly as Bryant’s career took off, it almost fell off just as fast.

Early Career Success

In his first seven years in the league spent mostly with the Chicago Cubs; Kris Bryant lived up to the hype that surrounded him when he was taken fourth overall by the North Siders. With the Cubs, Bryant put up a slash line of .279/.378/.508 with 160 homers and 465 RBI. He also finished his Cubs career with an OPS of .886. During that time, he won the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year award, NL MVP in 2016, and was a four-time all-star. He was also an integral part of the Cubs team that broke the curse and won the World Series.

Bryant would be dealt in 2021 at the trade deadline to the San Francisco Giants for prospects. This was part of a fire sale by the Cubs to begin their rebuild at the time. It marked the end of an era where Kris Bryant was a big part of the resurgence of the Chicago Cubs. Bryant wasn’t spectacular during his short stay in the Bay, but he was still productive. With San Francisco, Bryant put together a slash line of .262/.344/.444 with seven home runs and 22 RBI. He also had an OPS of .788. The Giants would ultimately win the NL West. However, San Francisco would bow out in the NLDS losing in five games to the arch-rival Los Angeles Dodgers. It was hardly Kris Bryant’s fault, during the series, he put up a batting average of .471 with a homer and two RBI. After that season, Bryant was a free agent for the first time.

Falling Off With The Rockies

Just before the lockout in 2022, Kris Bryant surprisingly quickly signed a seven-year $182 million deal with the Colorado Rockies. Given that his agent was Scott Boras, most expected him to sign after the new CBA was in place. The decision was puzzling because Colorado typically didn’t sign marquee players, missed the postseason three straight years, had a low-ranking farm system, and star Trevor Story departed. Also, Colorado has more last-place finishes than playoff appearances. After all, most players who come to Denver are looking to revive or finish their careers. It was very much assumed that Bryant still had some good years ahead of him. However, since coming to Denver, Bryant has looked like a shell of himself.

Nothing has gone right for Kris Bryant in Colorado. Due to various injuries, Bryant has only appeared in 122 games in two seasons with the Rockies. The former MVP has statistical drop-offs in many major offensive categories. The Colorado Rockies have also now missed the postseason five straight years, a streak likely to continue this season. Aside from Ezequiel Tovar, Elias Diaz, and Ryan McMahon, there is almost no talent surrounding him. Durability has also been an issue for the rest of the Rockies line-up as well. Colorado’s farm system still ranks toward the bottom of the league and there isn’t a lot of young talent coming up. Bryant essentially has no chance of winning with the Rockies. Recently, Bryant went as far as to express regret in signing his long-term contract with the Colorado Rockies.

A Tragic Fall From Grace

It has been a rough fall from grace for Kris Bryant. The first half of his career saw Bryant winning Rookie of the Year, MVP, multiple all-star game selections, and a World Series ring. In the second half of his career, we’ve seen the former MVP struggle to stay healthy and not be the force that he was in Chicago. Bryant has become another cautionary tale on long-term contracts going wrong. Kris Bryant and the Rockies are beginning to understand this reality. Given his age and recent injury history, there is now a lot of uncertainty about whether Bryant can still be productive. While there is still hope for him to bounce back, Bryant is entering his age 32 season where players are generally exiting their primes. It’s a shame as Bryant once was on his way to a Hall of Fame finish. Kris Bryant will now just be remembered as someone who had lots of success early on but couldn’t keep it going.

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