A New York Yankee from the second half of 2021 through the end of the 2024 World Series run, Anthony Rizzo will retire this weekend with a celebratory return to Wrigley Field. According to Jesse Rogers from ESPN, Rizzo will also be taking on an ambassador role with the Cubs after being honored this Saturday in Chicago.
Playing 14 years in the big leagues, Rizzo earned three All-Star appearances, two top-four MVP finishes, and four Gold Gloves. Most notably, Rizzo was one of the leaders, on and off
the field, for the Chicago Cubs team that finally broke the curse back in 2016, winning a World Series against Cleveland. Acquired by a savvy Chicago front office featuring much of the DNA that initially drafted him for the Red Sox and traded for him in San Diego, the first baseman was as rock-solid as they come for the North Siders, hitting .284/.388/.513 with a 139 OPS+ while averaging essentially 30 homers per season for the Cubs from 2014-19.
The Cubs dismantled their core at the 2021 Trade Deadline, and while Kris Bryant went to San Francisco and Javy Báez went to Queens, the Yankees added Rizzo. The Joey Gallo deal made around the same time saw a couple future big-league contributors subtracted in Josh Smith and Ezequiel Duran, but the main prospect dealt for Rizzo, Kevin Alcántara, has not yet broken through for the Cubs. In any case, the contending Yankees desperately needed thump at a first base spot that was missing it amid Luke Voit’s injuries and regression from his surprising 2019-20 heights. Rizzo went yard in his first game in pinstripes, quickly befriended Aaron Judge, and notched a 110 OPS+ down the stretch with the quality defensive work at first that was never part of Voit’s game.
Although it is lost in time due to the outcome of that unfortunate playoff, Rizzo actually went yard in the Wild Card loss against the Red Sox.
A free agent to be at the time, Rizzo re-signed with the Yankees on a two-year, $32 million deal and delivered a great 2022 campaign in which he was undeniably this team’s second-best hitter behind Aaron Judge. The lefty-hitting first baseman raised his OPS above .800 for the first time since 2019, tied his career-high with 32 bombs—including three in one game against Baltimore on April 26th—and became a pivotal piece of a 99-win club that won the AL East.
Again, while several Yankees’ bats went cold in October, Rizzo remained unflappable — he hit .276/.432/.552 with four extra-base hits in nine games.
On the strength of that fine campaign, Rizzo exercised an opt-out and negotiated a new deal for two years and $40 million, plus an option for 2025. It started off well, as he posted an .880 OPS through the first 53 games of the season, socking 11 bombs and well on his way to another productive season. Then came the the unfortunate collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. on May 28th, which ultimately resulted in post-concussion syndrome, and he was never really the same after that. However you land on that particular subject, at the very least, the situation could’ve certainly been handled better by the team, with Rizzo going on to play two months before action was taken.
The Yankees exercised a buyout in his contract and released him after a disappointing 2024 campaign that saw him suffer a forearm fracture in June. His patented lefty stroke never got into form, and when he returned in September, he was a singles hitter at best. He broke some fingers just before the playoffs, and that only further sapped his power. Rizzo missed the ALDS, and while he peppered Cleveland with a 6-for-14 ALCS, the Dodgers utterly neutralized him in what would be the final baseball of his career, a 2-for-16 showing and—regrettably—a now-infamous shared miscommunication with Gerrit Cole in Game 5. Rizzo stated a desire to play during 2025 spring training, but ultimately, he didn’t find the scant offers compelling enough to give it another go. With the season nearing an end (and already enjoying his time away as a new father, TBS analyst, and recent Yankee Stadium guest), the 35-year-old will retire having played his last game in pinstripes.
Perhaps not the flashiest or most outstanding first baseman in a generation blessed with multiple future Hall of Famers, Rizzo was a model professional, a great player, and someone who endeared himself to two of the biggest fan bases in the sport. Maybe under different circumstances, without that collision, he would’ve left a bigger footprint in Yankees history. As it stands, he was a very nice Yankee and we wish him (and his good dog, Kevin) the best in retirement.
