Chicago Cubs: Making the case for Anthony Rizzo leading off in 2018

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WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 07: Anthony Rizzo #44 of the Chicago Cubs hits a two run homerun against the Washington Nationals in the fourth inning during game two of the National League Division Series at Nationals Park on October 7, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Chicago Cubs: Rizzo is ready to ambush at a moment’s notice

Here’s the thing about Anthony Rizzo.

If you fall behind him in the count, he’s going to make you pay. It’s as simple as that, really. Let’s look at some numbers from last season, shall we?

1-0 counts: .471/.513/1.118
2-0 counts: .333/.333/1.111
3-0 counts: .000/.889/.000
First pitch: .339/.391/.763

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Those are some impressive numbers. In 3-0 counts last year, Rizzo did not strike out – not once – while drawing 24 walks. And, granted, opponents are going to try to work around him more often than not. But, more often than not, you don’t just fall into such a good count. It takes grinding an at-bat out to get here – and Rizzo excels in this area.

When he faces a 3-1 count, Rizzo reaches in just under 90 percent of his plate appearances. If he can work the count full, his OBP is north of .500. Those are odds I like, to be honest.

I’ll admit – his numbers when behind in the count aren’t exactly eye-popping. But he’s also one of the only players on this roster willing and able to shorten up and choke up on the bat in such situations.

So how would this hypothetical lineup look?

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