Bloop hits satisfy Cubs slugger Anthony Rizzo nearly as much as homers

26 February 2017 Sunday 20:03

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Bloop hits satisfy Cubs slugger Anthony Rizzo nearly as much as homers

Anthony Rizzo has hit at least 31 home runs in each of his last three seasons, but the Cubs slugger is just about as pleased with soft singles to left field that confound shifting defenses.

"I can hit the ball 110 mph off the bat every time and it's right at someone," Rizzo said Sunday. "What's the point, as opposed to hitting it 70 mph and somewhere where they're not standing? I really do believe if you hit the ball consistently, good things will come."

Rizzo and manager Joe Maddon believe there is value to exit velocity but also believe more attention should be given to offensive skills that foil a defense.

According to MLB's Statcast system, the four hardest hit balls in 2016 (led by a ball hit by Avisail Garcia of the White Sox with an exit velocity of 125.2 mph) resulted in outs.

"The first two months of the season was my hardest contact rate I've ever had in my career, and I was hitting (.236) at the end of May," Rizzo said.

Maddon said exit velocity can help teams identify talented, hard-luck hitters. He used Logan Forsythe of the Dodgers as an example of a player who had a high exit velocity but hit in tough luck in the minors before breaking through as an established player after he was traded to the Rays.

"That's a great acquisition because no one was on him," Maddon said. "All they see is a bad batting average and guys just can't get over the hump. But the undercurrent was good.

"Guys like Rizzo or Kris (Bryant) have great exit velocity. But the ability to really utilize the whole field right now, that's what K.B. is working on right now and that's what Rizzo knows.

"I know it's a cool term, but to me, it's about acquiring somebody. It doesn't have any application during the season. You know if a good qualified major-league hitter is going south, am I going to be worried about his exit velocity or his mechanics or is he chasing pitches out of the strike zone?"

Photos as the Cubs practice at spring training in Mesa, Ariz.

Unlike previous offseasons, Rizzo said he didn't devote his work to one specific area.

"I try not to overthink and look into things," Rizzo said. "I pull a lot of scouting reports from (coach) Mike Borzello and assess what happened throughout the year, such as what was good, what was bad, what teams pitch me better than others and why. I don't look too much into it. I'm just aware of it."

Rizzo simply hopes to continue hitting better against left-handers (.189 in 2013 to .300 in 2014) and to the opposite field. According to Baseball Information Systems, opponents employed 375 shifts against Rizzo in 2016, with 30 hits lost to the alignments but 18 gained as the result of beating the shifts.

"No one is ever content or satisfied," Rizzo said. "I think a lot of guys fall into the trap of trying to work on something and they're so focused on that movement that they forget to just not think. I'm a big believer of not thinking up there."

mgonzales@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @MDGonzales

Caption Cubs manager Joe Maddon on World Series Game 7 and spring training

Cubs manager Joe Maddon on World Series Game 7 and spring training.

Caption Cubs manager Joe Maddon on World Series Game 7 and spring training

Cubs manager Joe Maddon on World Series Game 7 and spring training.

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Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward discusses his comfort level with his new swing and the support from the organization on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)

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Cubs pitcher Mike Montgomery discusses his upcoming role with the team this season and reacts to his first exhibition outing in which he threw one scoreless inning on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)

Caption Manager Joe Maddon on the Cubs' first games, at-bats and lineups

Manager Joe Maddon talks about the Cubs' first games, at-bats and lineups. (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)

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Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer discusses the contract extension of reliever Pedro Strop on Friday, Feb. 24, 2017. (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)

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