All of the must-see GIFs from NL Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant's first MLB season

Jacob deGrom -- the Mets pitcher who won the 2014 NL Rookie of the Year Award -- had barely finished his acceptance speech when baseball fanatics turned their attention to heir apparent: Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant.

Bryant had only mashed, like, a million dingers in in the Minor Leagues and was due to make his MLB debut before Cubbies fans packed up their winter clothes for the season. Well, 26 homers, 77 walks and a Cubs NLCS berth later, Bryant finally took his rightful place on the throne of rookies in the National League when he found out he'd been named the 2015 BBWAA NL Rookie of the Year.

In case you somehow managed to miss the majesty and magnificence of Bryant's inaugural campaign, we did you the solid of recreating it with these convenient and mesmerizing moving pictures commonly known as GIFs. 

His MLB Debut

Sure, Bryant went 0-for-4 at the plate in his big league debut, but he made a ton of nice plays at the hot corner. The Cubs lost, 5-4, but there were definitely worse possibilities for fans on the North Side. Plus, Cubs fans didn't have to wait very long ...

His First Little League Home Run

Though it was officially ruled a double, Bryant's first career round-tripper was of the Little League variety when he knocked a ball off the base of the wall in an April 20 game against the Pirates.

His First MLB Home Run

On May 9, Bryant officially announced his arrival when he took Kyle Lohse to deep left-center field at Miller Park for his first career home run. He'd hit 25 more before the end of the regular season.

The Time He Put on a One-Man Show for Jeff Garlin

Comedian Jeff Garlin popped into the Cubbies broadcast booth at Petco Park in San Diego to catch a glimpse of this "Kris Bryant kid" he'd been hearing about and, boy-oh-boy, he did not have to leave disappointed. First, Bryant put a ball into the seats, and then he followed that up with a barehanded play because, hey, why not?

The Time He Hit a Home Run Off His Own Face

If you didn't already know that the Cubs added beautiful new scoreboards in the outfield at Wrigley Field, Bryant took it upon himself to point the left-field video board out to you with a home run he hit off his own mug.

His First MLB Home Run Derby

Bryant made his MLB debut on April 17 and didn't hit his first MLB homer until May 9, but he still managed to crank 12 out by the All-Star break and earned a spot in the 2015 Home Run Derby. Though he didn't take home top prize, he did provide some wonderful comic relief when he lobbied an official complaint with his BP pitcher (his dad) about the location of the the pitches he was seeing.

His First MLB Walk-Off

The true measure of a franchise player often comes in those crucial moments at the end of a game, and Bryant must have known that because homeboy launched a walk-off home run in July to lift the Cubbies to victory over Carlos Gonzalez and the Rockies. 

His 495-Foot Home Run

Do you know how long 495 feet is? It's a long, long way and Bryant hit a baseball that distance. That, ladies and gentlemen, was the longest home run of the 2015 MLB season -- not for Bryant, or for a a rookie, but for all players. No one hit one farther.

That Time He Moonlighted As a Lyft Driver

OK, so that one's not a GIF. Still, though, what's not to love about the NL Rookie of the Year trolling Lyft riders by going undercover as a driver and quizzing them about himself?

The Time He Played Four Positions in One Game

First base, center field, right field, third base. Four. Four positions in one game. As a rookie.

That Time He Juggled a Line Drive Because He Could Also Be in the Circus, If He Wanted To

That Gregory Polanco line drive was almost too hot to handle. The key word in that sentence is "almost."

His First Postseason Home Run

The Cubs! In the postseason! In Bryant's first MLB season! Coincidence? We think not. In Game 3 of the NLDS, Bryant launched his first career postseason home run (and went back-to-back with Anthony Rizzo). The Cubs went on to win that game, later eliminated the Cardinals and moved on to face the Mets in the NLCS.

Oh, and did we mention that Bryant is only 23? Because he's only 23, which means there's way more where all of that came from.