Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant has appeared in over 500 games and taken nearly 2000 at-bats, but his first at-bat against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday will be special.
That is because Bryant, who is hitting .292 with eight home runs and 29 RBI this season, will bat in the lead-off position for the first time in his big league career. Cubs manager Joe Maddon released his lineup on Friday morning, and the 26-year-old superstar will be first in the batter’s box when the team bats in the bottom of the first inning at Wrigley Field.
The lead-off spot has been a tough nut for Maddon and the Cubs to crack ever since Dexter Fowler left following the 2016 season. Everyone from Ben Zobrist, who is batting third on Friday, to Ian Happ, who is batting eighth, has been tried in the spot, but the team has yet to find a consistent formula for success.
Even slugger Anthony Rizzo has batted lead-off for the team, hitting five home runs out of that spot while doing so in 2017.
Can Bryant overtake Rizzo as the self-proclaimed “greatest lead-off hitter of all time?” He will begin his quest to find out on Friday afternoon.
