Bryant is the favorite, having delivered on his top prospect status as the Cubs turned into a contender. But don't be so quick to dismiss Kang's candidacy. The Pirates infielder accomplished something that had never been done before, successfully jumping straight from the Korean Baseball Organization into the Major Leagues.
Coming from the KBO's Nexen Heroes to the Pirates, Kang hit .287/.355/.461 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs. He was worth 4.0 Wins Above Replacement, the fourth-highest total on the Pirates behind Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole. Not bad for a player who only appeared in 126 games.