Anthony Rizzo is in his second consecutive year of +1.000 OPS in AAA, hitting .338 with 11 HR and 34 RBI already at Iowa. This all while Bryan LaHair occupies his only realistic defensive position up in Chicago and albatross Alfonso Soriano "Occupy Wrigley" stance in left further complicates any likelihood of Rizzo fitting into the daily lineup.
Rizzo's outstanding Iowa performance follows on the heels of a disappointing start to his major league career in San Diego last year. A .523 OPS (along with the interesting stat line of 18 H, 21 BB, and 46 K) led to an early demotion before the promising turn in AAA led former Padre GM Jed Hoyer to snap him up in Chicago. The hope is that Rizzo isn't the next in a long line of Cubs AAA stars to stumble at the major league level. While Bryan LaHair tries his best to dispel the myth of Cubs' minor league development stopping at quadruple-A, players from Roosevelt Brown to Micah Hoffpauir have shown limited ability at the major league level after much success in Des Moines.
Likeliest Scenario: It's hard for many Cubs fans to stomach the thought of a mauling first baseman the Cubs haven't seen since Derrek Lee's 2005 season. However, without a chance of contending this year, it's probably best to avoid throwing Rizzo into the fire too early again. Keep LaHair where he's succeeding, maybe stoke some interest in The Fonz, and keep fans hungry for a September callup.
Cubs Contracts and Callups
Anthony Rizzo
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