Giants general manager Scott Harris was with the Chicago Cubs front office when the team selected Kris Bryant in the draft, and recalled scouting the slugger before he made it to the big leagues.
“It wasn’t all that tough. I think he alone hit more home runs than over 100 [Division-I] programs in his draft year and won Player of the Year," Harris said on KNBR. "Sometimes you talk about drafting a “diamond in the rough,” but I don't think KB was a diamond in the rough at all. He was, who we thought, the best player in college baseball that year. Fortunately, we had a top pick and we could bring KB into the fold.”
Bryant was the second overall pick for the Cubs, and made his MLB debut just a few years later in 2015.
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Over his tenure in Chicago, Bryant won an NL MVP and helped lead the Cubs to the 2016 World Series, where they took down the Cleveland Indians for the franchise's first title since 1908.
Harris told the "Murph and Mac" show that Bryant's athleticism in particular stood out in evaluating the slugger.
“When I look at KB, I just think that he’s such an underrated athlete. I’ve watched him over the years and most people talk about his size and power, but what impresses me is his athleticism and his at-bat quality. I think the fans saw yesterday, that even in his first at-bat, he’s really competing every pitch. He may have punched out at the end of that at-bat, but he really battles throughout the at-bat. It makes him a perfect fit for our lineup.”
RELATED: Post-deadline MLB power rankings: Bryant-led Giants stay on top
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Bryant has two hits over his first two games in a Giants uniform, including a home run during his debut in the home cream jerseys at Oracle Park on Sunday.
Harris' relationship with the Cubs might have helped the Bryant deal come together, and the former MVP's arrival could be the catalyst that helps bring a World Series title back to McCovey Cove.