Former Chicago Cubs Superstar Staying Ready For Major League Opportunities

This former Chicago Cubs first baseman is preparing himself as if he'll get the chance to play in the Majors this season.

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Anthony Rizzo was one of the pillars of the Chicago Cubs World Series run in 2016.

He spent 10 of his 14 Major League seasons with the Cubs, spanning from 2012 to the middle of 2021. He had his best years in Chicago, including his three-year peak from 2014-16, hitting 95 homers with a 17.8 bWAR over that span. He was an All-Star in each of those three seasons.

He won four Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger award as a Cub. He won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2017, given to those dedicated to community involvement and helping others. He was a great player, and an even better person during his tenure in Chicago.

He has spent the last four years with the New York Yankees, where the former World Series champion has seen some decline. He had a solid year in 2022, slashing .224/.338/.480 while tying his single-season high of 32 homers. His 2.3 bWAR would have been his eighth highest while with the Cubs. Solid, but unspectacular could describe Rizzo's first full year with the Yankees.

There has been a far more significant fall off the last two seasons, appearing in less than 100 games in each with a combined .7 bWAR over both campaigns. Even his high-caliber defense started to see some erosion in 2024.

Rizzo will turn 35 years old in August, so his fall off isn't an unexplainable shock.

Despite not being on a team heading towards the second week of March, he's staying ready in his
Fort Lauderdale, Fla., home.

He recently appeared on "The Mayor's Office" podcast to discuss his current plans with former Big Leaguer Sean Casey.

Rizzo said he's "working out, staying ready. You just never know what's going to happen in this game."

He's been preparing like he would if he was on a team by hitting, throwing and trying to get in at least 10,000 steps a day.

Rizzo talked about how it gets harder every year to recharge in the offseason, and that the extra time not being in a team's camp has put his body in a better position.

He and his wife are expecting a baby in the next three-to-four months, but he's still preparing for any Major League opportunities that may come.

He's coming off a down year, but he's widely known as a leader and a high-character player. Many teams are already suffering a glut of injuries this spring. Rizzo is the rare veteran presence that could come off the street and reliably fill a void at first base for the right team.