Chicago Cubs: 5 reasons the Cubs are World Series favorites
Cubs fans should finally get to see vintage Bryzzo Souvenir Company during the stretch run.
For most of the season, Bryant and Rizzo were never hot at the same time.
Nagging shoulder injuries have plagued Bryant’s season, landing him on the disabled list two separate times. Although he’s struggled due to these ailments, Bryant’s “slumping” was still quite good. In the 76 games he’s played this season, he hit .276/.380/.474. Those numbers are certainly worse than we’re used to from Bryant, but he still produced runs at a rate 28 percent better than a league average hitter.
When Bryant was healthy early this season, Rizzo wasn’t hitting well. He’s improved almost linearly during every single month of the season, as shown by this table.
| Split | G | PA | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April/March | 18 | 85 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 15 | .149 | .259 | .189 | .448 |
| May | 26 | 120 | 16 | 30 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 28 | 1 | 18 | 10 | .303 | .408 | .576 | .984 |
| June | 28 | 116 | 11 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 10 | 15 | .270 | .345 | .440 | .785 |
| July | 24 | 109 | 9 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 12 | 15 | .293 | .394 | .478 | .873 |
| August | 26 | 112 | 14 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 2 | 13 | 11 | .365 | .446 | .656 | 1.103 |
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
As you can see, Rizzo really just got off to a terrible start, but has hit well since May, especially lately. In the second half of the season, Rizzo ranks eighth among all qualified batters in both wRC+ at 187 and OPS with a 1.099 mark.
Following a lengthy rehab process, Bryant is set to rejoin the Cubs during their upcoming weekend series in Philadelphia. After nearly a month off, Bryant says he’s pain-free.
dark. Next. Kris Bryant's return will loom large
A healthy Bryant and a red-hot Rizzo are just what the Cubs need entering this stretch run. After looking inconsistent at times this season, the Cubs now seem to be the clear front-runner in the National League.