Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo doesn’t believe in baseball luck as much as he believes in the power of the long baseball season.
But good luck finding another way to explain his early numbers compared to the streak he’s been on the last two weeks.
“Part of it is he had to have better luck,” manager Joe Maddon said, referring to Rizzo’s average on balls in play. “It was atrociously low, and that eventually comes back to you.”
Rizzo’s average on those balls in play (BABIP) through April 19: .139 (an average hitter will be around .300).
Until he went hitless with a walk Thursday, his BABIP (which excludes home runs and strikeouts) since then: .314.
In those 12 games after April 19 (through Wednesday), Rizzo was 17-for-47 (.362), with six homers, nine walks and 16 RBIs.
“Even when I hit the ball well, it was right at them,” said Rizzo, whose turnaround also coincides with opening his stance slightly. “The good thing is I know it’s a long season. So it’s not like I’m going to panic in April like I did four years ago. I know there’s a long way to go.”
