Boone expects to see vintage Rizzo in 2022

TAMPA, Fla. -- As ?Anthony Rizzo? waited patiently for a deal to surface last week, he went to a local ballfield in Delray Beach, Fla., to take some swings in preparation for the upcoming season.

But as he walked onto the field, there was a problem.

“The sprinklers turned on when I got there,” Rizzo said. “I’m sitting in my car, just sad I wasn’t in a camp. It was, ‘What am I doing right now?’ It’s all part of it. All offseason, I just kind of hung out and got ready to play. I knew it was all going to take care of itself.”

Rizzo’s patience paid off Thursday, as he walked into George M. Steinbrenner Field to rejoin the Yankees after agreeing to a two-year, $32 million deal with New York.

Rizzo knew the offseason would be, in his words, “somewhat slow,” as the lockout delayed his ability to sign a deal for 2022 and beyond. But the 32-year-old had targeted the Yankees from the outset of the offseason, knowing full well he would likely have to wait for the situations for fellow free agent Freddie Freeman and trade candidate Matt Olson to play out before he could make a deal.

“At the end of the day, this is really where we wanted to be,” Rizzo said. “It's just a great fit for trying to win a World Series; that's what it's all about here and that's the best thing you could ask for as a player.”

Rizzo slashed .249/.340/.428 with eight home runs and 21 RBIs in 49 games with the Yankees after being acquired from the Cubs on July 29, though his numbers might have been better if not for a bout with COVID-19 that sidelined him for 11 days in mid-August.

The three-time All-Star wouldn’t use the illness as an excuse for his play -- after hitting three homers with a .963 OPS in his first nine games, Rizzo hit just five homers with a .722 OPS in 40 games after his return -- but the combination of his uncertain status with the Cubs throughout the first half and the learning curve of a new team during the final two months made for a great learning experience in 2021.

“The beginning of the year was a whirlwind, just my whole situation with Chicago,” Rizzo said. “The [Trade] Deadline, I definitely did not think I was getting traded; getting traded was kind of a new boost. I get off to a really good start here, felt like I was in a really good place physically, then COVID hit. At that point, it was just getting back on the field. It was definitely a big growth year for me learning, getting traded for the first time midseason. Just learn from all of it.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone believes Rizzo -- whose left-handed bat helped balance out the club’s righty-heavy lineup -- wasn’t the same hitter after his return from COVID, but the skipper knows the type of player Rizzo has been throughout his career. So Boone's expecting a big presence from Rizzo, both at the plate and at first base.

“I fully expect that Anthony has a really good shot at having a year that's been in line with what he's done in his career,” Boone said. “Which is a lot of production.”

Steinbrenner Field was a foreign place for Rizzo, who spent his entire career training in Arizona, but there was a familiar feel for him as he walked into the clubhouse.

“Just walking in and being able to make jokes right away, talk to the guys right away and not have to introduce myself,” Rizzo said. “Most of the guys here last year, by the end of the year, we were all hanging out and were pretty close.”

Rizzo was a key component of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series team, making one of only a few players on New York's roster with a championship ring. Just as that Chicago team relied on veterans such as Jon Lester and David Ross, Rizzo knows that he can help his teammates keep the focus on the task at hand throughout what promises to be a long grind of a season.

“This game is hard,” Rizzo said. “Everyone wants to put the next dynasty out there, but this game is so competitive now -- any team can win. The Braves winning last year, the Nationals winning a couple years ago, it really puts that into perspective for the whole league. Were the Braves the most talented team last year? Absolutely not. But they came together at the end and were the best team. Player-wise, they had the right formula; when you have the right formula, that's what it takes. You need a couple bounces and you need a couple of calls, but the experience is when you do get punched, not losing that that focus.”

Rizzo noted that his 41.1% hard-hit rate was the best of his career, a positive sign that his numbers weren’t necessarily reflective of the quality of his at-bats. After doing a deep dive on his performance last year, he made a few tweaks to his swing this offseason, giving him hope for a better 2022.

“In this game, it doesn't matter what you do,” Rizzo said. “It's a tale as old as time; it’s ‘What have you done for me lately?’ Every year, to gain respect in this game, you have to do it again.”