Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant was moved Wednesday as he accepted the Hank Aaron Award with the Hall of Fame slugger sitting next to him.
"It's so surreal to me," said Bryant, honored as the National League's top offensive performer. "I've been through some pretty cool things recently, but I'm going to have to pinch myself for this."
Bryant, 24, batted .292 with 39 home runs, 102 RBIs and a league-leading 121 runs, and his 8.2 wins against replacement marked the highest by a Cub since Sammy Sosa in 2001 (9.2).
Recently retired Red Sox slugger David Ortiz won the American League honor. Aaron and a panel of fellow Hall of Famers choose the winners with input from fan voting.
Bryant became only the second Cub to hit at least 35 homers at age 24, joining Ernie Banks in 1955.
"To be a young player in K.B.'s shoes and win that award, and then have that particular man present it to you, it's impressive," manager Joe Maddon said. "It's very impressive at a young age to be considered and win it. There's a lot of great competition out there."
Maddon said the award could "absolutely galvanize" Bryant's thoughts about himself as a top player.
"It's a great achievement for him," Maddon said. "I'm happy for him and know he'll accept it in the right way."
No comments:
Post a Comment