The Chicago Cubs were second in the National League in runs scored after the All-Star break as Kris Bryant rebounded from a midseason slump, part of what seems like an inevitable climb into the upper echelon of power hitters.
Kyle Schwarber showed the first signs that he will be among the better left-handed hitters in baseball. Anthony Rizzo finished 10th in the MVP voting in 2014, and after compiling 72 extra-base hits and reaching base 271 times in 2015, he was fourth in the latest balloting for the award.
Bryant is 23, Schwarber 22 and Rizzo 26, and with this trio, the Cubs are probably aren't going to lack for run production in the years ahead, which is why their big-dollar investments in Ben Zobrist ($56 million over four years) and Jason Heyward ($184 million over eight years) is somewhat surprising.