The Chicago Cubs have gotten off to a solid start to the new season, winning two of their first three games of the campaign, but their biggest star has been slow to get rolling.
That star is Kris Bryant, who is coming off of an MVP-winning season for the Cubs in 2016. The slugger has gone 0-for-13 in the first three games of the new year, striking out six times and registering just one walk during that stretch.
Not only is Bryant’s rough start tough for the Cubs to deal with, but it’s also one of the worst starts for a reigning MVP in the history of the National League.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no reigning NL MVP has started out a season 0-for-13 or worse since Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg got off to a shaky start to the 1985 season on the North Side.
Fortunately for Cubs fans, the story does have a happy ending, as Sandberg snapped out of that streak in his 14th at-bat of the year, as he smacked a double against the Montreal Expos and pitcher Steve Rogers to snap out of his slump.
Sandberg rebounded nicely after the tough start, cracking 26 home runs and driving in 83 RBI in 153 games played. He won the Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger awards for the second consecutive season, and he was named to the second of his 10 straight All-Star Game appearances.
*An original version of this story said that Kris Bryant won the NL MVP Award in 2015. Bryant won Rookie of the Year honors in 2015, but he captured the MVP award in 2016.*
