Bryant earns NL Rookie of the Year by unanimous vote
Kris Bryant received the 2015 National League Rookie of the Year award Monday, winning by unanimous vote following a superb debut season in which he helped the revamped Chicago Cubs return to the postseason for the first time since 2008.
Despite spending the first two weeks of the season in Triple-A, the 23-year-old third baseman still led all NL rookies in wins above replacement in 2015 to comfortably edge out fellow ROY finalists Matt Duffy and Jung Ho Kang.
| Player | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kris Bryant | 30 | 0 | 0 | 150 |
| Matt Duffy | 0 | 22 | 4 | 70 |
| Jung Ho Kang | 0 | 4 | 16 | 28 |
| Noah Syndergaard | 0 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
| Justin Bour | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Before punctuating his inaugural campaign with a trip to the National League Championship Series, Bryant hit .275/.369/.488 with 26 homers in 151 regular-season games, becoming just the 32nd player ever to post an OPS+ above 130 with at least 60 extra-base hits as a rookie.
| Player | WAR | OPS | HR | DRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant | 6.5 | .858 | 26 | 3 |
| Duffy | 4.9 | .762 | 12 | 12 |
| Kang | 3.9 | .816 | 15 | 4 |
"I think there is a way to top this year, and that's to win a World Series," Bryant said. "We kind of got a taste of the playoffs this year and came up a little short. I think heading into next year, this whole experience is going to help myself and our whole team in general."
Selected second overall in the 2013 draft, Bryant’s first summer on the north side of Chicago substantiated the hype that accompanied him as he cruised through the minor leagues, tormenting every pitcher in his path. In 2014, his first full season as a professional, Bryant clobbered 43 homers while hitting .325/.438/.661 across stints in Double-A and Triple-A. Despite his mammoth season, however, Bryant was denied a September call-up to Chicago, much to the chagrin of both Cubs fans and Scott Boras, the youngster’s outspoken agent.
Boras was far more incensed this spring, though, when Bryant didn’t make the Cubs’ Opening Day roster - an unpopular decision that many speculated the Cubs made to delay starting Bryant’s service time clock, consequently gaining an extra year of control over the young third baseman.
"They haven't won for 100 years, and they should start trying to win today," Boras said in March. "Cubs fans are paying the third-highest ticket prices. They are paying for the team to win today. They don't pay to see the club do business."
Boras added, "Even if (starting Bryant in the minors is) in the best interests of the Cubs, that doesn't mean it's in the best interest of the league. Everyone else is going to be rightly wondering why the best player isn't out there."