Anthony Rizzo will not challenge Barry Bonds’ home run record, or Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak, or any of the other real “immortal” standards in baseball history. He’s not quite a Hall of Fame talent, although a long, high-floor end of career might get him there. But there is one thing that Anthony Rizzo does, perhaps better than anyone in the game today. Anthony Rizzo gets hit by a lot of pitches.
Since becoming a full-time player in 2013, Rizzo’s been hit by 20 pitches a year on average, three times leading the league. After getting smoked in Wednesday’s game against the Angels, Rizzo moved past Chase Utley on the all-time HBP leaderboard, taking sole possession of eighth place with 205 dots.