Kris Bryant named NL ROY

— -- Cubs' third baseman Kris Bryant was named the National League Rookie of the Year on Monday after batting .275 with 26 home runs and 99 RBI's to go along with a .369 on-base percentage in 2015.

Bryant, 23, tied for the major league home run lead among first year players while leading all full time NL rookies in on-base, slugging and OPS. He also led all NL hitters in strikeouts with 199 but came through when the Cubs needed it most hitting .292 with a .417 on-base percentage with runners in scoring position.

"He is always trying to learn and improve and doesn't have fear of making adjustments," Cubs hitting coach John Mallee said Monday. "He wants to be the best player in the game."

Bryant also has deceptive speed and base running ability swiping 13 bases last season, third most for NL rookies. At one point Cubs manager Joe Maddon called him the "best base runner" on the team. Bryant was the second overall pick of the 2013 draft after taking home the Golden Spikes award as best amateur player after three years at the University of San Diego.