First-round pick Bryant earns Minor League promotion

CHICAGO -- Kris Bryant, the Cubs' top pick in the June First-Year Player Draft who was riding a 15-game hitting streak at short-season Boise, was promoted on Monday to high Class A Daytona.

Bryant, 21, who was the second player taken in the Draft, was batting .354 with four home runs, eight doubles, one triple and 16 RBIs. He was able to keep his hitting streak going in a doubleheader on Sunday, and was a combined 5-for-7 with three RBIs in the two games.

Daytona was a season-high 14 games over .500, and headed for the playoffs in the Florida State League. Ben Carhart has been playing third, and was batting .247. Bryant skipped low-A Kane County, where Jeimer Candelario is the third baseman.

"We felt Daytona was a place Kris would be able to go and compete in his Draft summer once he got enough [at-bats] under his belt," said Jason McLeod, the Cubs' director of player development and scouting. "With Daytona being in the playoffs, Kris will get three-plus weeks down there, which will be nice. We want Jeimer to continue playing third base every day, so that was taken into consideration as well."

Bryant, ranked No. 4 on MLB.com's list of the Top 20 Cubs prospects, has only gone hitless in two of the 18 games he's played in this season at Boise, including his pro debut on July 23. A right-handed hitter, he's batting .476 (10-for-21) against left-handed pitching and .295 against right-handers.