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Player of the Month
Even with a questionable month, there are several players that earned consideration. Montero’s performance off the bench is quite the surprise. In a contract year and motived to prove himself, he needs a good season at the plate.
The play of Heyward is also appealing. With improves in his swing taking shape, his number should continue to climb. And, new closer Wade Davis has impressed with his perfect save record so far.
That said, the player of the month for the Chicago Cubs is Anthony Rizzo. Sure, he is leading the team in home runs and runs batted in, which can make this choice easy. But it is not just that. His home runs came at crucial moments for the team when they trailed in games. Plus, his ratio of walks to strike outs is almost 1-to-1. That is also best on the team.
Rizzo keeps the Cubs in games. With a pitching rotation that is letting the opponent get an early advantage, the first baseman’s clutch play has pushed the team forward.