Kris Bryant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kris Bryant |
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Bryant with the Chicago Cubs in 2015
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| Colorado Rockies – No. 23 | |||
| Designated Hitter / Outfielder / Third baseman | |||
| Born: January 4, 1992 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 17, 2015, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| MLB statistics (through April 12, 2025) |
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| Batting average | .273 | ||
| Hits | 1,068 | ||
| Home runs | 184 | ||
| Runs batted in | 548 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Kristopher Lee Bryant (born January 4, 1992), known as "KB", is an American professional baseball player. He plays as a designated hitter, outfielder, and third baseman for the Colorado Rockies in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the Rockies, he played for the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants.
Bryant was a star baseball player in high school. In college, he earned All-American honors in 2012 and 2013. He also won the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award in 2013, which are big awards for college players. The Cubs picked him second overall in the 2013 MLB draft. He quickly became one of baseball's top young talents. He won the USA Today and Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year awards in 2014.
Bryant started playing in the major leagues in 2015. He was named an MLB All-Star and won the National League's (NL) Rookie of the Year Award. In 2016, he was an All-Star again and helped the Cubs win the World Series. He was also named the NL's Most Valuable Player that year. The Cubs traded him to the Giants in 2021. Then, he signed a seven-year contract with the Rockies before the 2022 season.
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Early Life and High School Baseball
Kris Bryant grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. He played on his high school's varsity baseball team for all four years. During this time, he had a great batting average of .418. He also hit 47 home runs. In 2010, USA Today named him to their All-USA baseball first-team.
The Toronto Blue Jays picked Bryant in the 2010 MLB draft. However, he decided not to sign with them. Instead, he chose to go to the University of San Diego to play college baseball.
College Baseball Career
At the University of San Diego, Bryant quickly showed his talent. As a freshman in 2011, he had a .365 batting average and hit nine home runs. He was named a freshman All-American. He also shared the West Coast Conference (WCC) Co-Freshman and Co-Player of the Year awards.
In 2012, his sophomore year, Bryant hit 14 home runs and had 57 runs batted in (RBIs). He was again named first-team All-WCC and a first-team All-American. That summer, he played for the U.S. college national team.
His junior year in 2013 was amazing. Bryant hit 31 home runs, which was the most by any college player that year. He won the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy. These awards go to the best college baseball player in the nation. He was also named the Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year.
Professional Baseball Journey
Draft and Minor Leagues
Many experts thought Kris Bryant was one of the best players in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. The Chicago Cubs chose him with the second pick. This was a bit of a surprise because many expected them to pick a pitcher. However, the Cubs saw Bryant's great hitting skills. He was known for hitting for power and making good contact. Bryant signed with the Cubs for a $6.7 million signing bonus.
He started his professional career with the Boise Hawks. He hit .354 with four home runs there. He then moved up to the Daytona Cubs and hit five more home runs. After that season, he played in the Arizona Fall League (AFL). He was even named the MVP of the AFL after hitting six home runs in 20 games.
In 2014, Bryant played for the Tennessee Smokies. He hit 22 home runs and had 58 RBIs in 68 games. He was then promoted to the Iowa Cubs. That year, he hit a total of 43 home runs between the two teams. This won him the Joe Bauman Home Run Award. He was also named the USA Today and Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year. Baseball America even called him the No. 1 prospect for 2015.
In 2015, Bryant was invited to spring training with the Cubs. He hit nine home runs, more than any other player. Even with this great performance, the Cubs sent him back to the minor leagues for a short time. This was likely to gain an extra year of team control over his contract. After playing seven games in Iowa, he was called up to the major leagues.
Chicago Cubs (2015–2021)
2015 Season: Rookie of the Year
Kris Bryant made his major league debut on April 17, 2015, at Wrigley Field. He got his first hit the next day. On May 9, he hit his first major league home run. He finished May with seven home runs and 22 RBIs, earning him the NL Rookie of the Month award.
On June 17, Bryant hit his first career grand slam. He hit another grand slam on July 4, becoming the second Cubs rookie to hit two grand slams. He was chosen to play in the All-Star Game and also took part in the Home Run Derby. On July 27, he hit his first walk-off home run, winning the game for the Cubs.
On September 6, Bryant hit a massive 495-foot home run. This was the longest home run in MLB that season. He also broke the Cubs' rookie record for RBIs and home runs. In his first season, Bryant batted .275 with 26 home runs and 99 RBIs. He led the National League with 199 strikeouts.
The Cubs made the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Bryant hit a home run in the 2015 National League Division Series (NLDS) against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs won that series but lost in the next round. After the season, Bryant won the Baseball America Rookie of the Year award. He also won the Jackie Robinson National League Rookie of the Year Award by a unanimous vote.
2016 Season: NL MVP and World Series Champion
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In 2016, Kris Bryant had an amazing season. On June 27, he made history by hitting three home runs and two doubles in the same game. He was the first MLB player in modern history to do this. He led the National League with 25 home runs in the first half of the season. This earned him a spot in his second All-Star Game.
Bryant had a fantastic August, batting .383 with 10 home runs and 22 RBIs. He was named the National League Player of the Month. For the season, he led the league with 121 runs scored and 39 home runs. He also batted .292 with 102 RBIs.
The Cubs won their division and made it to the World Series. They came back from being down 3-1 to defeat the Cleveland Indians. Bryant caught the final out of the game, helping the Cubs win their first championship in 108 years! During the playoffs, he batted .308 with three home runs.
After the season, Bryant won the National League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP). He became one of only a few players to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in their first two seasons. He also won the Hank Aaron Award as the NL's best hitter.
2017 and 2018 Seasons
In 2017, Bryant signed a record-setting contract for a player not yet eligible for salary arbitration. He finished the season with a .295 batting average, 29 home runs, and 73 RBIs. The Cubs won their division again. They won the NLDS but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
In 2018, Bryant signed another record contract for a player in his first year of salary arbitration. On May 9, he hit his 100th career home run. He reached this milestone faster than any other Cubs player before him. He missed some time that season due to shoulder inflammation.
2019, 2020, and 2021 Seasons
Bryant started 2019 slowly but improved greatly. He hit seven home runs in 15 games, including a walk-off home run. On May 18, he hit three home runs in three innings against the Washington Nationals. He finished 2019 with a .282 batting average, 31 home runs, and 77 RBIs.
The 2020 season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bryant batted .206 with four home runs in 34 games.
In 2021, Bryant played different positions for the Cubs, including first base and outfield, along with third base. He was selected as an All-Star. He hit .267 with 18 home runs and 51 RBIs for the Cubs that season.
San Francisco Giants (2021)
On July 30, 2021, the Cubs traded Bryant to the San Francisco Giants. He made his Giants debut on August 1, hitting a home run in his first game with the team. For the Giants in 2021, he batted .262 with seven home runs and 22 RBIs. He played various outfield positions and third base.
Colorado Rockies (2022–Present)
On March 18, 2022, Kris Bryant signed a seven-year contract worth $182 million with the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies announced he would be their starting left fielder. This deal surprised many in baseball.
Bryant has faced several injuries since joining the Rockies. In 2022, he played only 42 games due to back issues and a foot injury. He batted .306 with five home runs. In 2023, he missed three months because of heel problems and a broken finger. He played in 80 games, hitting 10 home runs.
In 2024, Bryant played in 13 games before going on the injured list with a back strain. He returned in May but was injured again in June with a rib injury. He finished 2024 with two home runs in 133 at-bats.
As of April 2025, Bryant was placed on the injured list again due to ongoing back issues. Despite these challenges, he has stated he does not plan to retire.
Charitable Work
Kris Bryant is also known for his charitable efforts. In 2017, he teamed up with fellow baseball player Bryce Harper. They helped their hometown of Las Vegas after a tragic shooting. They encouraged people to donate to help the victims.
During Players Weekend in 2017, Bryant wore special cleats. These cleats promoted the Wings for Life Foundation. This group does research on spinal cord injuries. Bryant has supported this organization since 2011, after a friend was paralyzed.
In 2015, Bryant won the NL Outstanding Rookie award from the Player Choice Awards. He chose to donate the $20,000 prize to the Wounded Warrior Project. This organization helps injured service members.
Awards and Honors
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- ABCA College Player of the Year (2013)
- Baseball America College Player of the Year Award (2013)
- Baseball America Major League Rookie of the Year (2015)
- Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year (2014)
- Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year (2013)
- 2× College Baseball All-America Team (2012, 2013)
- Dick Howser Trophy (2013)
- Esurance MLB Award for Best Rookie (2015)
- Golden Spikes Award (2013)
- Joe Bauman Home Run Award (2014)
- 3× MLB All-Star (2015, 2016, 2019)
- MLB Player of the Month (August 2016)
- 2× MLB Rookie of the Month (May & August 2015)
- National League Hank Aaron Award (2016)
- National League Most Valuable Player (2016)
- National League Rookie of the Year (2015)
- Players Choice Award for NL Outstanding Rookie (2015)
- Sporting News National League Rookie of the Year (2015)
- USA Today Minor League Player of the Year Award (2014)
- World Series champion (2016)
Personal Life
Kris Bryant was a very good student in high school. He was named the salutatorian (second-highest ranked student) but let a classmate take the honor. In college, he studied biology before changing to finance.
His father, Mike, also played baseball in the minor leagues. Mike sold his patio furniture business to have more time to coach Kris.
Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper, and Joey Gallo all grew up playing baseball together in Las Vegas. They started playing when they were nine years old.
Bryant proposed to his long-time girlfriend, Jessica Delp, in December 2015. They had known each other since they were 14. They got married on January 7, 2017. His teammate, Anthony Rizzo, was one of the groomsmen. Kris and Jessica have three children: a son born in April 2020, and twin boys born in July 2022. They live in the Denver area.
Images for kids
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Bryant (far left) and David Ortiz (far right) with Hank Aaron (center left) and commissioner Rob Manfred (center right) after receiving the 2016 Hank Aaron Award
See also
In Spanish: Kris Bryant para niños
