Cubs Quick Hits: Kris Bryant’s Absurdly Impressive Contact Rate Improvement
Scouts and fans alike questioned whether Kris Bryant could make enough contact to survive MLB pitching. Wonder no more, folks, because Bryant’s improvement in contact rate is historically unprecedented.
| Bryant Contact Rate (%) | Year |
| 66.3 | 2015 |
| 73 | 2016 |
| 77.4 | 2017 |
| 81.3 | 2018 |
Most hitters only improve their ability to make contact by 1-2 percent at Bryant’s age. The former Rookie of the Year and MVP, however, has improved by 15 percentage points since debuting in blue pinstripes during the 2015 season. That’s about 15 times greater than what we could’ve expected from an average hitter. Incredible.