Kyle Hendricks Performing Well In Kris Bryant’s Shadow

With Opening Day quickly approaching,

has grabbed all the attention. What the Chicago Cubs will do with him is what most are wondering.

has been performing well in Bryant’s shadow. He’s quietly been impressing ever since he was called up last season. He is aiming to have a breakout season so he can be noticed for a change.

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Opening Night is less than two weeks ahead, and the Chicago Cubs are preparing their roster for, hopefully in their minds, a playoff run.

After starting the spring 0-6-1, the Cubs righted the ship and now stand at 9-11-1. Yes, the wins don’t matter much in March, but no matter what part of the year it happens, it’s good to see a nice little run like that.

During the spring, the biggest attention grabber has been Kris Bryant and his incredible lumber. He has twelve hits, and ten of them are extra base hits, including eight home runs.

What the Cubs will do with him at the end of the spring games has taken the baseball world by storm. Bryant and his agent, Scott Boras, want the Cubs to bring Bryant up north at the start of the season. The Cubs, wanting to try to keep the free agent from starting for another year, will likely have him start the season at Tripe-A Iowa. Even the players’ union is keeping an eye on the Bryant situation.

One player who has not gotten a lot of attention is Kyle Hendricks.

In a game against the Oakland Athletics on March 14, Hendricks pitched five perfect innings. Fifteen up, fifteen down. Of course, Bryant was the talk, as he hit two homers in the game, stealing the limelight from Hendricks.

Hendricks has flown under the radar since he came up to Chicago in the middle of last season. He had an excellent season, going 7-2 with a 2.46 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP in 80 1/3 innings.

Hendricks prefers not to have a lot of fanfare. He just wants to do his job, then prepare for the next time.

Manager Joe Maddon respects that in Hendricks.

Chicago Cubs

“I watched the guy go about his business and there’s nothing I can say to help him except ‘hello,’ ” Maddon joked. “I’m very careful regarding being too smart with people who don’t need your help. I’m not interfering with anything. I love watching him play.

“I watch him pitch closely for the first time and it looks very solid. He’s also a man of few words, so I don’t want to interfere with his prep, but I’m sure we’ll do a lot of talking before the season is over. I respect what he does and how he does it.”

What was Hendricks reaction to being upstaged by Bryant that day? “I’d rather hit two home runs any day than pitch five perfect (innings).”

Hendricks uses a similar approach to pitching as former Cub great and Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux. He constantly studies video on his opponents, and doesn’t overpower hitters. He paints the corners and goes up and down to keep hitter off-balance.

Hendricks is in a great position to take the next step and have a breakout season. He will be penciled in as the third starter, behind Job Lester and Jake Arrieta, two pitchers who get a lot more attention. Hendricks can take pointers from Lester, someone who knows what it takes to pitch on biggest stage.

With all the talks of the big young hitters in the Cubs’ lineup, it could be someone like Hendricks who could be an “X” factor. If he can convert the same numbers he had last year into a complete season, there will be some significant games played at Wrigley Field well into the season.

Just make sure to look beyond Bryant’s shadow.

Next: Starlin Castro Weathers The Storm, Ready To Prove His Worth