Kris Bryant Firehose of Splooge Thread

[Saul Goodman]

Bumped for a grand slam off a position player's heat.

Bumped because Kris hit some homers in batting practice off a tee in 8th grade a couple times

Yeah, but he's no Josh Vitters.

I don't know why, but I Googled Josh Vitters. This is how far we've come...

The Cubs promoted Vitters and fellow prospect Brett Jackson from the Iowa Cubs of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League on August 5, 2012.[11] He made his Major League debut later that day as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers [12] Vitters' first MLB hit was a double against the San Diego Padres August 7, 2012, pinch hitting for pitcher Jeff Beliveau in the seventh inning, scoring both Steve Clevenger and Darwin Barney.

It's been a looong road day....without you, my friend...

A MAN IS DEAD, you asshole'd

[Powdered Toast Man]

Ah well...

[Oleg]

Ah well...

I don't understand this post.

[Quality Start Machine]

Ah well...

I don't understand this post.

Went over your head?

[Saul Goodman]

Bryant, in 56 games:
.294/.396/.483/.879. 22 XBH, 8 HR, 33 BB, 74 SO, and just to be different he's 5-for-6 on the bases and has two triples. As good as he's been - and I'll be honest, I expected him to struggle with OBP this season - there's about 100 more points of slugging percentage in that bat that we haven't seen yet. He's done pretty much the opposite of what I expected. I thought he'd have plenty of power numbers but the strikeouts would kill his OBP and BA. Instead he's basically gone all-in on discipline and approach and I'm very impressed. This is gonna be awesome.

[Eli]

Bryant, in 56 games:
.294/.396/.483/.879. 22 XBH, 8 HR, 33 BB, 74 SO, and just to be different he's 5-for-6 on the bases and has two triples. As good as he's been - and I'll be honest, I expected him to struggle with OBP this season - there's about 100 more points of slugging percentage in that bat that we haven't seen yet. He's done pretty much the opposite of what I expected. I thought he'd have plenty of power numbers but the strikeouts would kill his OBP and BA. Instead he's basically gone all-in on discipline and approach and I'm very impressed. This is gonna be awesome.

I'd take a .294/.396/.483 line for the next decade from him and never complain once. The fact that there's upside beyond that is pretty amazing.

[Saul Goodman]

Bryant, in 56 games:
.294/.396/.483/.879. 22 XBH, 8 HR, 33 BB, 74 SO, and just to be different he's 5-for-6 on the bases and has two triples. As good as he's been - and I'll be honest, I expected him to struggle with OBP this season - there's about 100 more points of slugging percentage in that bat that we haven't seen yet. He's done pretty much the opposite of what I expected. I thought he'd have plenty of power numbers but the strikeouts would kill his OBP and BA. Instead he's basically gone all-in on discipline and approach and I'm very impressed. This is gonna be awesome.

I'd take a .294/.396/.483 line for the next decade from him and never complain once. The fact that there's upside beyond that is pretty amazing.

More from Baseball Reference, which hasn't yet updated with last night's results:
Season OPS+: 144 (yes please)

Current stats extrapolated to 162 games:
723 PA, 610 AB, 179 H, 35 2B, 6 3B, 23 HR, 14-for-17 SB, 95 BB, 214 SO, 6 GDP, 12 HBP.

That homer total is definitely not reflecting his power potential.  His BABIP is .412, so there's going to be some regression there, but from watching the games it just seems like he's not hitting pitches out that he should be hitting out.  I expect him to learn how as the season goes on and I'm really glad he's on the Cubs and not the Astros, those dumbasses.

[Oleg]

Bryant, in 56 games:
.294/.396/.483/.879. 22 XBH, 8 HR, 33 BB, 74 SO, and just to be different he's 5-for-6 on the bases and has two triples. As good as he's been - and I'll be honest, I expected him to struggle with OBP this season - there's about 100 more points of slugging percentage in that bat that we haven't seen yet. He's done pretty much the opposite of what I expected. I thought he'd have plenty of power numbers but the strikeouts would kill his OBP and BA. Instead he's basically gone all-in on discipline and approach and I'm very impressed. This is gonna be awesome.

I'd take a .294/.396/.483 line for the next decade from him and never complain once. The fact that there's upside beyond that is pretty amazing.

More from Baseball Reference, which hasn't yet updated with last night's results:
Season OPS+: 144 (yes please)

Current stats extrapolated to 162 games:
723 PA, 610 AB, 179 H, 35 2B, 6 3B, 23 HR, 14-for-17 SB, 95 BB, 214 SO, 6 GDP, 12 HBP.

That homer total is definitely not reflecting his power potential.  His BABIP is .412, so there's going to be some regression there, but from watching the games it just seems like he's not hitting pitches out that he should be hitting out.  I expect him to learn how as the season goes on and I'm really glad he's on the Cubs and not the Astros, those dumbasses.

Can't we have this?:
711 PA, 577 AB, 189 H, 34 2B, 5 3B, 64 HR, 0-2 SB, 116 BB, 153 SO, 6 GDP, 6 HPB

[Slaky]

Bryant, in 56 games:
.294/.396/.483/.879. 22 XBH, 8 HR, 33 BB, 74 SO, and just to be different he's 5-for-6 on the bases and has two triples. As good as he's been - and I'll be honest, I expected him to struggle with OBP this season - there's about 100 more points of slugging percentage in that bat that we haven't seen yet. He's done pretty much the opposite of what I expected. I thought he'd have plenty of power numbers but the strikeouts would kill his OBP and BA. Instead he's basically gone all-in on discipline and approach and I'm very impressed. This is gonna be awesome.

I'd take a .294/.396/.483 line for the next decade from him and never complain once. The fact that there's upside beyond that is pretty amazing.

More from Baseball Reference, which hasn't yet updated with last night's results:
Season OPS+: 144 (yes please)

Current stats extrapolated to 162 games:
723 PA, 610 AB, 179 H, 35 2B, 6 3B, 23 HR, 14-for-17 SB, 95 BB, 214 SO, 6 GDP, 12 HBP.

That homer total is definitely not reflecting his power potential.  His BABIP is .412, so there's going to be some regression there, but from watching the games it just seems like he's not hitting pitches out that he should be hitting out.  I expect him to learn how as the season goes on and I'm really glad he's on the Cubs and not the Astros, those dumbasses.

Based on how selective he is maybe the BABIP doesn't have to regress that much. Just wondering - and someone smarter can tell me if I'm being obtuse - but he has a lot of at bats where he doesn't put a ball in play due to walking or striking out which SUGGESTS that he's only really trying to hit pitches that are really, really hittable.

Hence, his BABIP would be higher because his contact quality is higher. No?

[SKO]

Bryant, in 56 games:
.294/.396/.483/.879. 22 XBH, 8 HR, 33 BB, 74 SO, and just to be different he's 5-for-6 on the bases and has two triples. As good as he's been - and I'll be honest, I expected him to struggle with OBP this season - there's about 100 more points of slugging percentage in that bat that we haven't seen yet. He's done pretty much the opposite of what I expected. I thought he'd have plenty of power numbers but the strikeouts would kill his OBP and BA. Instead he's basically gone all-in on discipline and approach and I'm very impressed. This is gonna be awesome.

I'd take a .294/.396/.483 line for the next decade from him and never complain once. The fact that there's upside beyond that is pretty amazing.

More from Baseball Reference, which hasn't yet updated with last night's results:
Season OPS+: 144 (yes please)

Current stats extrapolated to 162 games:
723 PA, 610 AB, 179 H, 35 2B, 6 3B, 23 HR, 14-for-17 SB, 95 BB, 214 SO, 6 GDP, 12 HBP.

That homer total is definitely not reflecting his power potential.  His BABIP is .412, so there's going to be some regression there, but from watching the games it just seems like he's not hitting pitches out that he should be hitting out.  I expect him to learn how as the season goes on and I'm really glad he's on the Cubs and not the Astros, those dumbasses.

Based on how selective he is maybe the BABIP doesn't have to regress that much. Just wondering - and someone smarter can tell me if I'm being obtuse - but he has a lot of at bats where he doesn't put a ball in play due to walking or striking out which SUGGESTS that he's only really trying to hit pitches that are really, really hittable.

Hence, his BABIP would be higher because his contact quality is higher. No?

This was mentioned when he was in the minors and people panicked over his low contact rates. Unlike most low contact hitters he managed a consistently high batting average because the quality of the contact he does make is insane and unprecedented.

[SKO]

Opposite field homer off Clayton fucking Kershaw on a 1-2 breaking ball. My God

[ChuckD]

Opposite field homer off Clayton fucking Kershaw on a 1-2 breaking ball. My God

The only other player to take Kershaw deep to the opposite field since the start of 2013 2012 2011 was Braun. That was on a 3-1 fastball.

Edit: start of 2012
Edit2: start of 2011

[CubFaninHydePark]

Opposite field homer off Clayton fucking Kershaw on a 1-2 breaking ball. My God

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVm-FY-9X5M

[Saul Goodman]

Opposite field homer off Clayton fucking Kershaw on a 1-2 breaking ball. My God

The only other player to take Kershaw deep to the opposite field since the start of 2013 2012 2011 was Braun. That was on a 3-1 fastball.

Edit: start of 2012
Edit2: start of 2011

Pick a lane.

[ChuckD]

Opposite field homer off Clayton fucking Kershaw on a 1-2 breaking ball. My God

The only other player to take Kershaw deep to the opposite field since the start of 2013 2012 2011 was Braun. That was on a 3-1 fastball.

Edit: start of 2012
Edit2: start of 2011

Pick a lane.

Sorry, only had 2013-15 data on hand.

I've checked all the way back to 2008, Kershaw's first year.

2008 - three opposite field HR's allowed (Hawpe, Dukes, Dunn).
2010 - two opposite field HR's allowed (Votto, Helton)
2014 - one opposite field HR allowed (Braun)

All 6 of those were on fastballs. All were counts that were even or the hitter was behind.