Cardinals’ Randal Grichuk v. Cubs’ Kris Bryant breakdown

Aug 5, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Randal Grichuk (L) is congratulated by teammates after he hit a go-ahead home run in the 13th inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The Cardinals won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

While the Cubs’ Kris Bryant reaps the praise, somehow the Cardinals’ Randal Grichuk continues to be overlooked in the Rookie of the Year discussion.

National baseball writers and fans alike seem to have fallen in love with the young, upstart Chicago Cubs and their quest to return to postseason baseball in 2015.

A large part of that has been due to the exploits of a number of young players, including Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber and former top prospect Kris Bryant – who has cooled off a bit in recent weeks.

And while that’s all well and good, you’d have to be a fool to think that St. Louis would be where they find themselves in the standings without the contributions of their young outfielder Randal Grichuk.

So with that in mind, let’s compare the work of the two budding stars.

Next: Kris Bryant – Offense

Aug 2, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Randal Grichuk (15) celebrates with St. Louis Cardinals third base coach

(11) after hitting a two-run home run against the Colorado Rockies at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Randal Grichuk – Offense

At just 23 years old, the young St. Louis outfielder has been one of the most potent offensive weapons in the arsenal of manager Mike Matheny.

After batting around .240 in action last year, Grichuk carried a .287/.333/.574 line into play on Sunday. That’s not to mention the fact he’s already set impressive career-highs in both home runs (14), runs batted in (43) and doubles (20) – with roughly 50 games left to play.

On-pace for 20 homers and around between 60 to 70 runs batted in, the outfielder has already shown that he’s ready to do his part to help lead the Cardinals deep into postseason.

Of qualified hitters, Grichuk leads the Cardinals with his .903 OPS – stepping up in a big way to fill the void left by the repeated absences of veteran Matt Holliday.

While Bryant launches the mammoth home runs, Grichuk has been perfectly fine with flying under-the-radar, becoming a young stud on a division-leading St. Louis club.

Next: Kris Bryant – Defense

Aug 4, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (17) reaches for a ball hit by Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder

(not pictured) during the seventh inning at PNC Park. The Cubs won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Kris Bryant – Defense

While Bryant has won his share of games with the bat, he’s still got some work to do with the glove at the hot corner – although the Chicago Cubs were aware of this heading into the season.

The young slugger has been a -0.2 dWAR player in his first big league season, making 13 errors in 99 games at third base for Chicago.

According to Fangraphs, Bryant has a 3.5 UZR and according to some metrics, his range has been above-average, as well.

He’s seen some time at both third and in the outfield, although he’s spent all but five games at the hot corner.

By contrast, last season, then-Cubs third baseman Luis Valbuena made just nine errors in roughly 25 more games than Bryant has appeared in so far in 2015. Of course, his offensive contributions paled – which is why the now-Astros infielder posted a 1.6 WAR in 2014 and his replacement comes in at an even 3.0.

The moral of the story is this: most of Bryant’s value comes with his bat; and he has work to do defensively.

Next: Randal Grichuk – Defense

Jul 23, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Randal Grichuk (15) catches for an out during a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports

Randal Grichuk – Defense

Sure, he’s worth over 2 wins above replacement just based off his work with the bat, but you’d be a downright fool to look past the work he’s turned in defensively.

The Cardinals outfielder has made more than 40 OOZ (out of zone) plays already in 2015, coming in over a run above average in terms of his range (RngR). Grichuk has been been a leader with Holliday sidelined, and while I personally felt he was better than Bryant with the glove, some numbers may point to the contrary.

First off, it’s crucial to preface this discussion with this statement: third base and center field are two very different positions.

That being said, let’s look at some numbers.

His Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), the same measure we used when looking at Bryant earlier, Grichuk clocks in at 0.6 – after coming in at 5.4 in 2014, his first taste of big league action.

However, when you break down what type of play each player is faced with, Grichuk has fared better than his Chicago rookie counterpart, making this an even more interesting discussion for Cubs and Cardinals fans alike.

Next: The verdict

Jul 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Cubs celebrate after third baseman Kris Bryant (17) hits a walk-off home run during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

Verdict

As much as Cardinals fans love Grichuk and what he’s brought to the first-place St. Louis club this season, you can’t overlook the impact Kris Bryant has made in the Windy City.

Following a win Sunday, Chicago sits 14 games above .500 for the first time in over a half-decade. Bryant leads all big league rookies in runs batted in, second in home runs and also comes in in the top five in terms of on-base percentage.

Granted, Grichuk has played 30-something fewer games than Bryant. But that being said, the impact on the club is what we’re trying to determine here. And, at least so far, the young Chicago slugger has more than helped the Cubs – he’s led them.

Both are talented players, but there’s little doubt that Grichuk has a ways to go before he’s one of the elite rookies in the league.