5 Rockies that need to step up in 2024

2. Kris Bryant needs to stay healthy

Without a doubt, Kris Bryant has been a controversial topic since his arrival to Colorado. Bryant, 31, signed a seven-year $182 million contract with the Rockies just a year after the team traded Nolan Arrenado to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The decision to sign Bryant came as a surprise to many as the Rockies were entering the early stages of a rebuild which made no sense to sign Bryant as they were in no position to compete in 2022 and beyond.

While Bryant is a great player and makes a great addition to any clubhouse, his impact has been almost nonexistent in Colorado as he has continuously missed significant time due to injuries.

In his first year, Bryant dealt with both a back and foot injury throughout the course of the year. This past year, he missed a significant amount of time after a devastating fractured finger after being hit by a pitch days before he went on the injured list.

To give Bryant credit, going on the IL after a hit by pitch is out of every players control and is not something anyone wants to see. Bryant also wanted to play through the injury but unfortunately, the injury was too significant and was becoming too much of an issue for him to continue on.

When Bryant is in the lineup, he has been a productive piece. In 2022, Bryant played in 42 games and had a slash line of .306/.376/.475 with five home runs, 14 RBI's, and 12 doubles.

The goal for Bryant next year should be to play a full season without going on the IL. If he does manage to stay healthy, we could very well see the same type of productivity in 2022 replicate next year.

With the emergence of Brenton Doyle, Hunter Goodman, and Nolan Jones, it has forced Bryant to shift positions for the fourth time in his career as he is expected to become the team's everyday first baseman.