Chicago Cubs: Kris Bryant Not Interested in Home Run Derby
By Tj Porreca
Chicago Cubs slugger Kris Bryant participated in the Home Run Derby in 2015, but the power-hitting third baseman says he’d pass this year if given the opportunity.
Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is a prototypical power hitter. He swings with a slight uppercut that allows him to get incredible lift when he connects with the ball. Bryant has become known for sending moonshot home runs deep into the bleacher seats of major league stadiums. Bryant’s sweet swing should play well in a Home Run Derby, but after taking part last year, Bryant said he’s not interested this season.
Bryant hit nine home runs in the first round of the 2015 Home Run Derby, ultimately losing to Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols, who hit 10. After that experience, Bryant has decided he will not be in this year’s derby if he is asked to do so.
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“All I know is it was tough,” Bryant said of the 2015 Home Run Derby, via the Chicago Sun-Times and ESPN.com. “It was very exhausting, and I don’t know if I’d want to do it again. But if [the pitchers] want to, we’ll let them do it. I don’t really want to.”
Cubs ace Jake Arrieta recently said he’d like to take part in a home run derby for pitchers. San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner also said he’d like a chance to be in the derby, as well.
As for Bryant, he’d like to pass. Bryant called the derby “exhausting,” and while it can certainly take a lot out of a player to hit so many home runs, there could also be other concerns. Players in the past, including Miguel Cabrera in 2014, have expressed concern that taking part in the derby could mess up their swing. Bryant didn’t voice that same concern, but it has been a topic of discussion in the past.
Bryant called the 2015 derby “mentally draining,” although he is a big fan of the event. “I enjoy watching the home run derby. Growing up I watched it all the time,” Bryant said, per the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s very entertaining. I’ll sit on the grass, do the whole bring-the-Gatorade thing. But I don’t really want to do it.”
The Home Run Derby is certainly a spectacle. In recent years, players like Yoenis Cespedes and Todd Frazier have put on a show. Bryant is one of the young stars in the major leagues and has the potential to win a Home Run Derby, but his decision is commendable.
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The Cubs are enjoying a stellar season to this point — 44-20, the best record in all of baseball entering Thursday — and Bryant is a key piece of their core. The 24-year-old is hitting .273/.360/.514 to this point, with 15 home runs and 45 RBI. And while Bryant won’t be participating in the Home Run Derby, it’s a safe bet that he’ll be in San Diego as a National League All-Star.