Kris Bryant's Recent Offensive Outburst Makes the Cubs the Team to Beat in the NL Central
By Sean Facey
The NL Central is an absolutely stacked division this year. Four teams are over .500 with just 4.5 games separating them.
But only one team in the division has yet to lose 20 games, and that's the Chicago Cubs.
The recent offensive outburst from Kris Bryant has been a major factor in the team's success, and that's the exact reason why the Cubs have emerged as the team to beat in one of baseball's toughest divisions.
Some fun Kris Bryant season stats:
— Press Box Wag Jeff Everson (@EVR551) May 18, 2019
-Highest xWOBA of his career
-Tied with 2015 for best exit velo of his career
-Best walk rate of his career
-Best K rate of his career
-Highest combined solid contact + barrel % of his career
-On pace for 40 home runs
He's broken though.
Chicago's franchise star is in the midst of a career year. His .986 OPS is the second-highest mark on the team, and his 161 wRC+ is tops among all qualified third basemen.
And when Bryant's at his best, so are the Cubs. The last season he managed a wRC+ of 148 or higher was 2016, the year he won NL MVP and the Cubs won 103 games and the World Series.
His flaming hot bat adds an extra layer of depth to a lineup that already features the likes of Willson Contreras, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo. Navigating through that lineup when he's playing well is a pitcher's nightmare.
Cubs' Kris Bryant crushed three home runs to the same spot against the Nationals https://t.co/hzjyGWBCtS pic.twitter.com/5SKpwE25Ne
— For The Win (@ForTheWin) May 18, 2019
It's almost not fair. The return of Bryant's MVP form gives the Cubs an absolute super team, and the Cardinals and Brewers may find themselves looking up at Chicago on the standings all season long, especially if the Cubs find some bullpen depth.
As long as Bryant's hot, toppling the Cubs from the top spot may very well be impossible.