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Addison Russell beats Kris Bryant to 1st MLB home run (Video)

By Will Osgood

Apr 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Addison Russell (22) celebrates with Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon (70) after scoring during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Addison Russell (22) celebrates with Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon (70) after scoring during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /
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The two most awaited big league debuts this season were of the Chicago Cubs’ Kris Bryant and Addison Russell. Which one hit his first big league home run first is probably a bit surprising. 

If you had Addison Russell in the “first Cubs call-up to hit a big league home run” pool over Kris Bryant, you win (assuming such a pool existed in the first place).

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Russell was called up to play second base for the Chicago Cubs April 21–four days after Bryant made his Major League debut at home against the San Diego Padres. Both have shown in short time the ability to contribute offensively and, Russell especially, defensively.

But until Friday, neither had hit a major league home run. And surprisingly it was Russell to do it first.

There’s no doubt Bryant will get his eventually. Even more than Russell, he’s reguarly put together great at-bats at the big league level and is already second on the team in runs batted in with 10 with a stupidly ridiculous .455 on-base percentage–and because Anthony Rizzo is Batman or something, that’s only second on the team among regulars.

But there is a chance Russell develops into an even better major league player. Some scouting services ranked Russell and not Bryant the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect heading into this season. Why?

He’s more dynamic

As baseball reverts back to a pitcher’s game, more and more each day, month, week and season, base stealing and other forms of little ball regain their relevance in the game.

Between Russell and Bryant, that favors the middle infielder, and not so much the big bashing corner infielder/outfielder (who has already played centerfield a couple times for the Cubs, so maybe we’re all wrong about Bryant being just a Herculean slugger).

He is a better defender

Though Bryant, as already mentioned, has already played centerfield for the Cubs, we shouldn’t assume instantly that Bryant will be the next Ben Zobrist–who Joe Maddon used at almost every position in Tampa Bay. Eventually he’ll settle in at third base or left field.

To contrast that, Addison Russell will settle at either second base or shortstop where he projects as top defender regardless of which one he ends up at full-time.

Russell does have power

In four minor league seasons, split between Rookie League to triple-A in the Oakland organization and double- and triple-A with the Cubs, Russell hit 38 home runs over 1,087 plate appearances. That isn’t, obviously, a ton of home runs per plate appearance–it doesn’t compare to Bryant.

But it’s enough to suggest the 22-year-old, who by all accounts hasn’t hit his peak physical condition (scientists still say that doesn’t come until age 25 usually), can continue to grow into his body and become Thor to Bryant’s Hercules in terms of power potential.

Russell slugged .520 in his minor league career, which is nothing to be ashamed of. He probably won’t ever reach Bryant’s otherworldy abilities to hit the ball out of the ballpark, but when combined with other factors, it’s possible he’ll be more important over the long haul to the Cubs’ success.

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