The Year in Bryzzo: Dugout hugs, national anthem duets and back-to-back homers

Chicago Cubs' Anthony Rizzo (44) and Kris Bryant celebrate the Cubs' 9-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers after a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016, in Chicago. Bryant homered twice, doubled and drove in five runs while going 5 for 5. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)

Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant are many things: Young MLB stars, Cubs infielders, MVP contenders, the heart of a lineup that won 100-plus games in 2016. But together, they're more than that. They're Bryzzo. (You know -- Bryant + Rizzo = Bryzzo.) And despite initial reports of its demise upon Bryant's engagement in the offseason, the BFF portmanteau was very much alive this season.

As the Cubs head to the posteason, and Bryzzo brings the show to October, let's take a moment to reminisce on the first full season they spent together as teammates. This was the year in Bryzzo.

Bryzzo Souvenir Co.

Bryzzo began the season by embracing their entrepreneurial spirit and establishing the Bryzzo Souvenir Company, dedicated to delivering well-dingered baseballs to all parts of the ballpark.

So, when Bryzzo went back-to-back in a Cubs win on June 19, they celebrated as true small business professionals:

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Must be nice being best friends with your business partner. Speaking of …

Back-to-back home runs

Bryzzo hit consecutive homers twice in 2016, in a pair of games within the span of eight days. First, the aforementioned blasts on June 19:

Then again on June 27. Though, when one half (Bryant) goes 5-for-5 with three homers himself, it makes back-to-back knocks a much easier feat to accomplish.

They also combined for 71 home runs this season, which is more than one third of the total home runs the Cubs hit as a team. That's #BryzzoPower.

A Flag Day Duet

Holidays are meant to be spent with family and friends -- and that includes even the minor holidays, like Flag Day. Bryzzo, of course, spent their June 14 together. They celebrated with a joint rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, each revealing a singing voice only a best friend could love:

Late Show cameos

As with any celebrity power couple, it's only a matter of time before they become a household name. Bryzzo's moment came in July, when they joined Jake Arrieta in a cameo on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and introduced themselves to the non-MLB nation for the first time (you know, besides all of those nationally televised Cubs games).



Three months before the world saw the demise of Brangelina, Bryzzo took the world -- or late-night talk shows hosted by diehard Cubs fans, at least -- by storm.

Dugout fun

But the foundation of a friendship isn't built upon those flashy moments, rather the quiet times just having fun. Bryzzo had plenty of those.

There were the smiles …

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The hugs …

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The fun …

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Yes, Bryzzo had a lot of fun in 2016. They happened to win a lot of games together, too -- and October will no doubt be filled with plenty more #BryzzoMoments.