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

On the heels of four straight 30-homer seasons, Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo joined his teammates in their struggles to hit the long ball.

Anthony Rizzo’s durability and leadership throughout the season once again played a key role for the Chicago Cubs in 2018. Actually, this may have been more the case this season than in any recent year. When considering the team-wise offensive struggles in the second half, the Chicago first baseman did what he’s become known for – keeping things on an even keel.

He played in 150 games or more for the fifth time in seven seasons with the Cubs. The other two were his first year in Chicago in 2012 when he was promoted to the majors from Triple-A in the middle of the season and in 2014 when he played 140 games. Overall, his availability on a day-to-day basis cannot be questioned.

In 2018, despite seeing a slight power decrease, Rizzo still gave fans the approach we’ve grown to appreciate. He posted the lowest strikeout rate of his career (12 percent) while also still driving in 101 runs. His .283/.376/.470 slash line is nothing to complain about.

However, he did post his lowest slugging percentage since 2013 when he only slugged .419 and was only a 2.9 WAR player, also his lowest since 2013. But, as I said, the plate discipline he brings is something that stands out compared to other contributors on the Cubs offense.