Can Rockies fans expect a bounce back 2024 season from this former MVP?

We talked a few days ago about how frustrating Brendan Rodgers has been for the Rockies, but perhaps the only Rockies player that has had a more frustrating start to the time in Colorado has been Kris Bryant. Bryant comes with big time pedigree as a former MVP and world champ during his time with the Chicago Cubs. He was a consistent MVP type player and was a durable outfielder, playing an average of 142 games a year during the 2015-2021 seasons (excluding 2020). That just hasn't been the case for Bryant in his two years with the Rockies, playing just 122 games.

Kris Bryant will be healthier and really solid for a young team needing veteran leadership

Bryant was one of the best hitters in the game from 2015-2021 putting up a wRC+ of at least 124 every single year, averaging 5.25 fWAR during that stretch. The Rockies came out of nowhere and signed him to seven-year $182M contract and it has, to this point, been one of the worst contracts in recent memory (mainly due to the injuries Bryant has sustained). In 2022 Bryant was actually really good, but only played in 42 games and struggled through injuries in 2023, limping to a 73 wRC+.

Things could change in 2024 as Bryant has made a move to first base, in an effort to keep his body healthy. He could still see some outfield time, but the Rockies should really aim to keep the 26-million-dollar-man at first base or DH to keep him healthy enough to play in 130+ games (that would be a win for Rockies fans).

2024 is a big year for the veteran to prove that the Rockies made a good investment into the slugger, and if he can stay healthy enough for 130+ games he should be able to return that type of production. The Rockies lineup in 2024 should be significantly better than the 2022 lineup that saw solid production out of Bryant. He will have a lot more protection in the lineup with guys like Nolan Jones emerging as well as the expected growth of Ezequiel Tovar, Brendan Rodgers and Brenton Doyle. Hopefully veterans Ryan McMahon and Charlie Blackmon can give some stability to take pressure off Bryant as well. 2024 will be a surprising year for a lot of Rockies players and perhaps the biggest one will be Kris Bryant; I am a lot more optimistic than most about Bryant's potential 2024, below is my projected stat line for the former MVP.

.278/.360/.470, 27 HR, 82 RBI

Call to Action

Are you a fan of the Rockies? Do you love talking about all things Rockies? Do you want to write about the Rockies on your own schedule with the potential to earn some extra cash? Go to https://openings.fansided.com and look for the Rox Pile site and apply to join our staff.

More from Rox Pile