Kris Bryant breaks Cubs’ rookie record with 26th homer

Remember back in April when much of the baseball world was outraged that Chicago Cubs rookie phenom Kris Bryant began the season in Triple-A?

That all seems so long ago.

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Here we are in late September, and the Cubs are headed to the postseason, while Bryant is the heavy favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year award.

Bryant hit his 26th homer of the season Tuesday night in the third inning of Chicago’s 4-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, breaking the Cubs’ record for most home runs by a rookie in a single season. Recognizing the achievement, the Wrigley Field faithful cheered loudly as Bryant came out of the dugout for a curtain call.

The record had previously belonged to Hall of Fame outfielder Billy Williams, who hit 25 in 1961 and was named the top rookie in the National League that year. Making the night even more special for Bryant, was that Williams was in attendance at Tuesday’s game and the two have gotten to know each other a little bit over the last few months.

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Bryant also now holds the Cubs’ rookie record for RBIs in a season with 98, and should break the century mark before the end of the week.

In the end, those couple weeks that Bryant spent tearing up Triple-A pitching in Iowa clearly didn’t hurt him or the Cubs too much.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr