2024 was supposed to be a comeback season for a more determined than ever former National League MVP, Kris Bryant. However, the first 12 games of the regular season have been a complete nightmare. Not only for the 3-9 Colorado Rockies but for Bryant as well. At one point in his career, the 2016 NL MVP was on the fast track to Cooperstown. However, that is no longer the case, as injuries and poor play have brought up many questions as to why the Rockies initially signed Bryant to a seven-year, $182 million deal in the first place. If the 32-year-old first baseman can’t find the answers sooner rather than later, we could see the ending of a career that had so much potential.
Former NL MVP Kris Bryant Is Having An Awful 2024 Campaign
Thus far, Bryant has appeared in 10 out of the 12 games for the Rockies. Through 35 at-bats, he has recorded just four hits. The 32-year-old first baseman has one home run with four runs batted in and a terrible .114 batting average. Bryant also has an on-base percentage of .264 and is slugging .200. He did not record a hit for the Rockies through their first five games of the season. Bryant’s first two hits of the season would come six games into the season when he went 2-for-4 in the Rockies’ 9-8 loss to the Chicago Cubs. In seven out of the ten games he’s played, Bryant has been hitless.
His most consistent game of the season was when he recorded two hits in that 9-8 loss to the Cubs. Nonetheless, on April 5th in a 10-7 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, Bryant went 1-for-5, hitting his first and only home run of the season, a two-run shot that rocketed out toward left field. Although the Rockies are currently playing the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second time this season, Bryant simply needs to find his footing and get his confidence back.
Kris Bryant’s first homer of the season! pic.twitter.com/QMMomngZNW
— MLB (@MLB) April 5, 2024
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Can Bryant Turn This Season Around?
It’s going to be extremely tough for Bryant to get out of the funk he’s in now. He’s a veteran and one of the most respected voices in the locker room. However, if his play can not stand up to par with the rest of his teammates, we could see the 2016 National League MVP benched. If being benched doesn’t help, it may be time for the Rockies to cut their losses. They’re already one of the worst if not the worst team in the league this season. It wouldn’t be bad for Colorado to try and maximize a top pick from the 2025 MLB Draft.
This team is desperate to be back in the postseason hunt. It doesn’t help that they’re in the toughest division in all of baseball. Still, they have a young squad full of potential. All the Rockies need is a guy like Kris Bryant to get back to his former self. The big question is if he can. The next question is how fast he can help turn this franchise around and regain a winning attitude.
Photo Credit: © Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
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