Anthony Rizzo Debut Proves Nothing

All day Tuesday, the internet buzzed about Chicago Cubs top prospect Anthony Rizzo. Twitter and Facebook blew up with information and predictions about the only current bright spot in the Cubs organization.

The Rizzo buzz continued into the night, as he was a world-wide trend on Twitter nearly the entire game against the New York Mets.

The Cubs wasted no time showing Rizzo how important he is to the team, by making him the No. 3 hitter in the line up. Pretty big spot for his club debut, but the Cubs have nothing to lose. That’s where they want Rizzo to hit, he might as well get used to it.

His first at bat didn’t disappoint, as he sharply hit a ball to short and Ruben Tejada couldn’t corral it. The hit was initially ruled an error, but was then overturned, much to the delight of Rizzo and Cubs’ fans everywhere.

His second at bat came with two on and and no outs in the bottom of the 3rd, when he manged to advance the runners into scoring position with soft grounder to first base.

The defining moment of the game for Rizzo and his team came in the bottom of the 5th, as the young slugger managed to knock in a run on a double, giving the Cubs the lead 4-3…

Above all else, fans should take notice of Rizzo’s gold glove potential at first base. His fielding ability is arguably his best asset, but at the end of the day, the Cubs need him to drive in runs.

My overall reaction to his debut is very positive. He played excellent defense and hit the ball hard in 3 of his 4 at bats, but it really means nothing. It’s just one night, the guy could be a total flop. The reality is that Rizzo wasn’t very good last season with the San Diego Padres, and he could do the same for the North Siders.

I personally don’t think that will happen. I’ve seen him play a few times, and the hype is legitimate. The guy has all the tools. However when it comes to the big leagues, there’s a lot more to the game than just talent.

Everybody in Chicago will love Anthony Rizzo from now, until he no longer produces. How long that will be, is way too hard to tell after one game.

Follow Andrew Fisher on Twitter @the_realfish