The power outage that has been looming over the north side of Chicago for the past two weeks doesn’t seem to be headed toward Iowa any time soon. Anthony Rizzo, the Cubs top prospect, belted two more home runs on Thursday (his third multi-home run game) giving him a minor league-leading seven on the season.
The entire Chicago Cubs team has five.
That’s right, through the first 13 games of the season, the Chicago Cubs have hit a major league-low five home runs. As a team, they are also hitting just .233 with 42 runs scored, both ranking 25th in the majors. With numbers like those, it’s no surprise they have the second worst record in baseball at 3-10.
The 6’-3”, 220-pound Rizzo is hitting .393 over his first 14 games with seven home runs, 16 RBI and a 1.219 OPS. Granted, he is doing it in the PCL where balls fly out of the park at an alarming rate, and he did do the same damage last year in the same league, hitting .331 with 26 home runs, 101 RBI and a 1.056 OPS over 93 games before struggling with the Padres hitting just .143 with one home run, nine RBI and a .523 OPS over 49 games. Still, he is making a mockery of opposing pitchers right now while his major league club is playing like the Bad News Bears.
Of course, there is just one problem. The one guy that is supplying the power just happens to be playing Rizzo’s position. Bryan LaHair, the 6’-5”, 220-pound left-hander is leading the team with two home runs and has also knocked in six runs while batting .360. The 29-year-old earned his keep by leading the minors in home runs last season with 38. He also batted .331 with 109 RBI and a 1.070 OPS over 129 games for Iowa. As long as LaHair keeps hitting, Rizzo will have to wait his turn.
So, Marlon Byrd can keep hitting .075 (3-for-40) with no extra-base hits and zero RBI. Alfonso Soriano can continue his extra-base hit drought at 44 at-bats and counting. Geovany Soto can also keep hitting .167 (6-for-36). Soon enough, though, Guys like Brett Jackson, who is hitting .254 with five doubles, two triples, two home runs, six RBI and two stolen bases, and Wellington Castillo, who is hitting .389 with three doubles, two home runs, six RBI and a 1.190 OPS will be taking over the lockers, just not their huge contracts.
Soon enough, actually, not soon enough. It’s gonna be a long season Cubs fans. But I think you already knew that before I told you.