Well, at least they tried.
The Chicago Cubs were the only team to have multiple participants in the Home Run Derby this year. While it does not mean anything special, it’s pretty cool bragging rights. All-Stars Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant were both deserving players and were able to connect on some solid homers, unfortunately, neither was able to advance out of the first round. Maybe the playoffs will be a different story, or maybe not.
For a while, it seemed like the Cubs were going to have the two lowest player totals in the first round, and technically, they did. Bryant managed to tie Josh Donaldson (former Cubs prospect) and his first-round total of nine, good for a tie for second-to-last place. Rizzo finished up his night with just eight homers. Albert Pujols made it interesting towards the end of his round but there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was going to edge out Bryant. Even when he’s not on the Cardinals, Pujols still finds a way to beat the Cubs.
Luckily, there’s still a decent chance that these two Cubs will get to hit some out of the park during the All-Star Game. Rizzo will be the starting DH for the National League. Expect him to have some great at-bats to make up for teammate Jake Arrieta‘s All-Star snub. Bryant will get some time at third base and should prove that he is better in-game than his Home Run Derby performance suggests.
Going forward, the Cubs have a relatively soft schedule in the weeks leading up to trade deadline. The Cubs offense has been suspect as of late. Rizzo and Bryant will need to harness their power to help drag the Cubs out of their bad offensive streak. The soft schedule is cooking up the perfect conditions for a power surge in the Cubs’ bats. With just over half the season played, the real games are about to start and this is the time where stars shine.