Derrick Rose or Kris Bryant? Which Chicago Star Has the Bigger “What If?”

former Chicago Cup, former MVP, according to Bob Nightingale, Chris Bryant just can't stay

on the field. According to Bob Nightingale, he tweeted spring training starts in Rocky's

first basement. Chris Bryant goes on the 60 day IL where he'll be out for at least the

first 57 games of the season. Bryant, who played only 11 games last season, has played

in only 170 games in the first four years of his seven year, $182 million contract.

A guy who was, he had it made in this town, Justin, there was nothing that Chris Bryant

couldn't do. And there is another star who very recently just had his number raised

up into the Raptors, the United Center, but we can't help but feel like what could have

been. So let's do it right now. Chicago sports, what if, what is the bigger what if Chris

Bryant's career or Derek Rose's career?

It's a great question. And I see a lot of parallels between both these young stars.

Um, Chris Bryant was on this like astronomical pace. I mean, uh, cowards player of the

year, minorly player of the year, rookie of the year, MVP winning a championship on four

seasons. I don't think anybody's ever done that before in baseball. That's insane. His

trajectory was Hall of Famer for the Cubs statue next to Rhino. Like that's where his

career was going until his body broke down on him. You know, and obviously, you know,

Derek Rose, youngest MVP in the NBA and all those things. Um, for me, the, the bigger

what if I, I'm going to call me a homer. I'm going to go Chris Bryant for the reasons

I said, they also won a championship with KB. Um, they may, they, and I'll see us three

times in a row. So like, you're like in the quote unquote finals or at least the, you

know, coverage finals at basketball terms, three years in a row. And it's just, you know,

the guy was the perfect hitter, the perfect athlete. He was boy wonder and it's so sad

to see where his career has gone now. And I'm choosing KB. So look, those are, those are

great points about KB and speaking, you know, speaking specifically about Chris Bryant,

that guy did everything right. He did. You can't build a prospect up more than Cubs fans

building up Chris Bryant. Right. And he delivered on every promise. Yeah. The only reason

and I'm going to, we're going to have a fun little counter here with the Derek Rose is

simply, when you do the what if with Derek Rose is if Derek Rose, it stayed healthy.

Would the bulls have won a championship? Okay. We have the answer to that question with

Chris Bryant. Right. Because he did stay healthy long enough to win an MVP in the Cubs

won the World Series. But the players are really similar. You mentioned it, right?

Rookie of the year to MVP. Derek Rose did that exact same thing. And you can't help but

think if Derek Rose had stayed healthy, would they have won a championship? I don't know,

because LeBron James was still at the peak of his powers. It would have been really tough

getting past him, but that year was the year, but that year was the year. And then they

walked into it, ready to roll. Even when he recovered from the first ACL tear before

tearing the MCL, hopes were still really high for Derek Rose. Right. The only thing that

I would say in KB side is now Rose has got his name up there in the rafters. Right.

He's from Chicago. He did what was asked of him in terms of coming to this city, becoming

one of Chicago's sons and like leading that team as far as they went and becoming the

youngest MVP ever. Chicago will forever love Derek Rose. The what if with Chris Bryant

is Chris Bryant could have become an all-time great cup. But I don't think we put him on that

list right now, right? Because it just, it came up a little short. The high was super high,

but the sustained level didn't stay there. I think Chicagoans have a special place in

their heart for Derek Rose because he's from the city. Right. There's your difference.

KB isn't from Chicago. Derek Rose was from Chicago. I also think that the second halves

of their career Derek Rose has had a better one as injury-laden as that was. I mean, Chris

Bryant hasn't played. You know, like his fall from grace has been sharp. It's very sad to

watch. I listen. I have a connection to Chris Bryant. I've met him a couple times. Everything

I've heard and seen, he's the ultimate human being. Just the nicest guy in the world. But

training from when he was a little toddler, never did drugs, never did he's really like a

good, good, good human. His body just failed him. And oh, man, I just, but, but he was like

this and you just, you wonder how high he could have gone had his body not failed him. Or

if you would have, you know, signed an extension to be here in Chicago for the Cubs. Like, I think

you're talking statues. I think maybe on our championship with Derek Rose, I think

that we just, we never got the championship. And for me, that's why I feel like I give

it to KB. And again, Chicago, if there was a poll right now, I think Derek Rose wins

that poll. But I also think a lot of us homers vote for Derek Rose because he's one of us.

He's a Chicago boy. And I think he gets the nod because of that. Yeah. And jump in the

chat, please let us know whether you think what's the bigger what if is it Derek Rose or

is it Chris Bryant? I mean, both sides have a compelling argument, right? Like Chris Bryant,

the what ifs for me continue into, could he have stayed at that MVP level with the Cubs

have had another shot at winning a second world series? Would he have been a guy with that

kind of power that now that we're in 2026? You start kind of mapping it up a little bit.

Maybe he'd be knocking on the door 400 home runs right now. Could he have been a 500 home run

player? Yep. And the other part about is Chris Bryant. I don't know standing here today.

If he's going to have his number up there, retired in Cubs history. That's a tough

that's what there. I mean, that's what Derek Rose has. But there's also, okay, okay.

I hear that. But there's a big debate over was that warranted. I know that we love Derek Rose

and he got his number up there. But is he Jordan? Is he Pippin? I mean, he didn't win anything.

Yeah. Listen, I'm all for it. It made me feel warm and fuzzy. Don't come at me. I'm just saying,

yes, Derek Rose did get his number up there. Was it a thousand percent deserved? So KB,

will he get his number retired? I don't think so. But I put them unequal footing with that.

No, they're both they're both tragedies and they're both incredibly unique special athletes

that were drafted super high that came in with a ton of expectation and sometimes in that

expectation, it can be a burden and it can weigh down on athletes. And sometimes when you don't quite

get up to that snuff, everyone looks at you and you go, you're either a bus or you didn't

worked out or both of those guys for a small span of time completely 100% worked out. Yeah.

The only problem is after it worked out, both of it kind of went in the tubes, right? And

there was some really tough difficult times. Derek Rose has come out on the other side of it.

And he, you know, he's a family man. He wants to be a businessman. He's going to be a part of

Chicago forever. Unfortunately, Chris Bryant is still in it right now, right? Of deciding whether

he's going to continue to play, whether their injuries are just going to sideline him and have

him retire. And we're going to ask what could have been for the rest of forever. I mean, that's

what Chris Bryant's looking at. He's also in the middle of $182 million dollar contract. So he's

doing okay. He got three years left. He's doing okay. Don't feel too bad for him. But I mean, I'll tell

you this. I've never asked him this question, but I would promise you he would rather be playing

baseball than not playing baseball cluth in a check. I do know that about him. I know he wishes

he could bat and, and, and, and contribute to his team. Well, that's going to do it. Chicago sports.

What if Chris Bryant or Derek Rose, you tell us, you tell us. You tell us, you tell us,