Recently, Bryant's swing has come under some scrutiny -- perhaps not directly but certainly in indirect ways. Bryant recalled hearing some analysts, including those on MLB Network this offseason, criticizing hitters for putting an emphasis on launch angle. Former Cubs hitting coach Chili Davis also wasn’t a proponent of the approach.
The 27-year-old Bryant has always been a big believer in the importance of launch angle, which is why he doesn't plan to change his swing or plate approach after an injury-plagued 2018 season in which he missed 60 games, primarily due to a shoulder ailment, and posted career-lows of 13 homers, 52 RBIs and an .834 OPS.
"I just rolled my eyes (when I listened to broadcasters’ comments and said,) ‘Here we go again,'" Bryant said. "Everyone wants to talk about it ... That’s just my swing. I don’t have to go out and try to hit the ball on a 27-degree launch angle every time. I know that’s what I’m supposed to do. There’s not really a worry in my mind."
Since entering the big leagues in April 2015, Bryant has a fly-ball rate of 43.8 percent, which is the 24th-highest in MLB. That number is reflective of his emphasis on launch angle and is even higher than that of the now-retired David Ortiz when he was still playing in 2015 and 2016.
But it’s not as if Bryant has orchestrated his entire mindset around a home run-or-bust approach of pounding the ball into the seats. He's a .285 hitter for his career and owns a career .775 batting average on line drives while tying for the 24th-highest rate in that department amid his MVP campaign in 2016.
Bryant also noted he has enjoyed working with new Cubs hitting coach Anthony Iapoce, whom he spent time with in the minor leagues during Iapoce’s days as the organization’s special assistant to the general manager from 2013-'15. Iapoce recently served as the Rangers' hitting coach from 2015-'18.
In his previous role with the Cubs, Iapoce was supportive of Bryant's approach. And he's not attempting to enforce his own hitting philosophy upon Bryant now.
"A really good hitting coach is one that gets you in the right mindset to play the game cause the game’s so built around failure," Bryant said. "He’s (Iapoce) definitely one of them.
"We all are (our own hitting coaches). You are your own best coach."