Chicago Cubs: Anthony Rizzo and his consistency is key moving forward

Chicago Cubs: A disappointing start to the season

Rizzo had an April to forget. The first baseman posted an atrocious 32 wRC+ in the first month of the year. His .149/.259/.189 slash is one he’ll likely never want to see again. It was his worst April since 2016 when he batted .219. However, he still slugged eight home runs that month. In comparison, Rizzo hit one home run this April, which ironically was his only extra-base hit of the month, too.

The Cubs managed to stay the course though despite the horrific weather they experienced in Chicago. As temperatures got warmer, so did the Cubs slugger.

On May 1, Joe Maddon inserted Rizzo into the leadoff spot for the first time of the season and he took off from there. He launched a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning in an eventual 3-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field. For the next two months, Rizzo spent time all over the first four spots of the lineup.

He was much better going into the All-Star break slashing .276/.366/.473 from May 1 to July 15. He hit 11 home runs, drove in 30 runs and posted a 122 wRC+ in that span. Despite his slow start in April, the Cubs entered the break with the best record in the National League.