Chicago, IL- Slumps are something all baseball players don't like to endure. Whether it's not making solid contact with the ball or losing the ability to recognize pitches, all good players fix their holes at the plate sooner than later. Like a good player, Anthony Rizzo has turned his woes around to the other side of town this season.
Coming off of a successful 2012 season in which he hit .285 with 15 HR and 48 RBI, Anthony Rizzo hit rock bottom in the 2013 season. Unlike the 2012 season where he had a BAbip of .310, Rizzo's luck with balls in play fell to .258 last season. His strikeout rate also increased from 16.9% to 18.4%, which proves that Rizzo's ability to adjust to the ball coming towards him got worse. Despite all the bad things, Rizzo improved in areas such as taking walks (7.3% to 11%) and turning hits into extra bases (8.2% to 9.4%). Even though Rizzo might have progressed in some areas, the 2013 season is still something he'd like to put in the past.
So far in the 2014 season, Rizzo has looked like a completely different ballplayer. His BAbip has re-surged to .305, and his walk rate is at 16%. Along with those key improvements, the Cubs first basemen has returned to the powerhouse he was back in 2012. Currently, Rizzo leads the Cubs offense in HR (12), RBI (33), R (39), OBP (.401), and OPS (.887). Carrying the Cubs offense this season, Rizzo looks very similar to a player such as Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds. One thing worth noting is how Rizzo is actually hitting lefties. During his career in the Major Leagues, Rizzo has hit .216 against lefties, which is not very good for an everyday player. However, Rizzo has tuned his batting average against left-handed pitchers to .333 in 2014. With his great defense at first and improved approach at the plate, Rizzo is really transforming into the franchise player the Cubs had hoped for when they brought him over from San Diego.
-Daniel (DanielDoreCTC)
(All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference)
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