Chicago Cubs: Anthony Rizzo somehow remains underrated in fans’ eyes

Despite his remarkable consistency and all-around talent, Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo is too often lumped in with his positional counterparts.

Right in front of our eyes, Anthony Rizzo has transformed into one of the best players in baseball. It took a lot to go from a struggling, lost rookie with the San Diego Padres to one of the most adaptable offensive threats in the league and leader of the Chicago Cubs.

Yet, despite this dramatic evolution, Cubs fans take him for granted. The perfect example of this? This week, someone told me that power-hitting first baseman are a dime a dozen in Major League Baseball.

We had been discussing which of the team’s young players the front office need to prioritize when many of the core pieces’ contracts expire. The usual suspects came up: Javier Baez, Kris Bryant – you get the picture.

But, for whatever reason, Rizzo rarely made the cut with folks. And, to be honest, for the life of me, I can’t understand why this is the case.