Cubs' Bryant on making Opening Day roster: 'Why not me?'

There's not much else Kris Bryant can do with his bat to make his case for cracking the Chicago Cubs' roster out of camp, so now he's trying to plead his case with his mouth. 

The top prospect in baseball has hammered nine home runs while slashing .406/.472/1.313 in 12 games this spring, but still isn't a lock to be on the Cubs' Opening Day roster. 

"I look at it as, 'Why not me?' " Bryant told ESPN. "I think I'm the type of guy that can go out there and do it. I've made it a point of mine to come out here and show them that I can."

Bryant's agent, Scott Boras, has been outspoken regarding his stance on what the Cubs should do with his client, stating that it's the organization's obligation to start its best players in the major leagues. 

Regardless of how exceptional the 23-year-old Bryant has been, complicating matters is the fact that the Cubs would lose one year of control if Bryant begins the season in the majors. 

While president of baseball operations Theo Epstein has yet to make a decision on the team's intentions, precedent doesn't bode well for Bryant's chances.

"I've never put a guy on an Opening Day roster who hadn't played in the big leagues previously. In 13 years, I've never done it," Epstein said. "I'm not saying I'd never do it, but the general rule, the presumption, is to allow those guys to go out, play, get comfortable, get in rhythm and come up when you handpick just the right moment for them to have success."