A few days ago, when it was revealed that the New York Yankees were including first baseman Anthony Rizzo on their American League Championship Series roster, fans, generally speaking, weren’t terribly excited about the idea. After all, they saw Rizzo as an aging hitter with two recently fractured fingers and a .637 regular season OPS.
Most Yankees supporters liked the Oswaldo Cabrera – Jon Berti tandem at first base and preferred them over Rizzo. Somehow, however, the veteran slugger has found his way into the roster, into the lineup, and into becoming a reliable offensive contributor in the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians.
This version of Rizzo has the Yankees happy and excited
Rizzo has played two games to this point, delivering three hits (including a double) and a walk in eight plate appearances against the Guardians’ vaunted pitching staff. Nobody believed, given the circumstances described above, that the aging veteran still had it in him to give the Yankees a strong offensive presence against some of the best hurlers in the world. Here he is, producing at a high level, and silencing the doubters.
The numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. Yes, the production via positive outcomes has been there, but what has the Yankees even more excited is the fact that he has been making hard contact with frequency.
The Yankees don’t expect Rizzo to suddenly return to his mid-2010s prime and become a middle-of-the-order performer, but they are ecstatic with the first baseman’s current form. They do expect him to clear a specific bar production-wise before considering other alternatives, but the truth is Rizzo has looked very good in the early portion of the ALCS.
- Yankees have acquired 6 projected starters post-Juan Soto departure
- Yankees eyeing All-Star upside from injury-prone relief arm
- Yankees could clear almost $20 million to spend with one trade
If he can keep this up, the Yankees’ lineup will be much more dangerous. The unit is already enjoying some positive developments. The leadoff hitter, Gleyber Torres, is red-hot, Juan Soto is as dangerous as they come, Aaron Judge is waking up, and Giancarlo Stanton has been producing like October Stanton usually does.
If Rizzo can maintain this form and Austin Wells can get hot eventually, the Yanks could be close to unstoppable.
