The Kris Bryant show continued on Saturday afternoon in Mesa as the slugging third baseman drove two more home runs over the Sloan Park fence, bringing his total to eight on the season.
“It’s the complete opposite of last year,” he said after the game. “Last year I was struggling to really get going, but it was good. I knew what I needed to do this year, and did that this off-season. I took what the front office told me and I did that and I couldn’t be happier with where I am.”
Perhaps more importantly to the Cubs than the fact that their young slugger cracked two more long-balls (giving him his third multi-home run game of the Cactus League slate) is that he looked good, albeit deliberate, in his first game playing the field in more than a week. Shut down last week because of shoulder fatigue, Bryant tossed a couple of strong throws over to first base, and he fielded every ball cleanly that was hit his way.
Despite the immense success that he’s had this spring (and throughout the minor league season last year), Bryant is trying to keep a level head and make sure that his priorities remain in the right place.
“In this game, you have to be modest. You can’t toot your own horn,” he said. “You have to let your play speak, and that’s how I’ve been my whole life. Just letting my play speak and keeping my nose to the dirt. That’s how I’m going to play.”
There is very little question that Bryant is going to be starting the year in the minors, but as soon as the Cubs can call him up while guaranteeing an extra year of control over him (that date comes on April 17), you can bet that he’ll be summoned to Wrigley Field.
Other Notes From Spring Training:
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-The Cubs also got a great performance out of shortstop Addison Russell, who was called into action shortly before the game when Starlin Castro was scratched due to a right groin injury. The youngster went 2-for-3 at the plate in the game, cracking his first home run of the spring and raising his batting average to .409 in Cactus League play.
With his stellar defense and excellent approach at the plate, Russell is going to make it up to the big leagues at some point, but it won’t be out of camp. A similar approach to the one the Cubs used with Javier Baez last year (calling him up August 5) wouldn’t surprise anyone, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Russell could end up being the starting shortstop for the team as soon as the 2016 season.
-Welington Castillo continues to make a strong case to be kept on the Cubs’ roster this spring, cracking his second home run of the Cactus League slate and also smacking a double in five innings of work. He also threw out Austin Jackson on a delayed steal attempt at second base, improving his numbers in that category as well.
With Miguel Montero all but assured of the starting job and David Ross his likely back-up, the Cubs are still going to try to trade Castillo for more minor league assets before the regular season begins, but if they don’t get an offer that they like, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them hold onto Castillo as a third catcher, especially with the versatility offered by players like Tommy La Stella and Arismendy Alcantara.
