Before this past week, Anthony Rizzo was sitting on one home run through his first 23 games of the season and 296 for his career.
Six games and one flurry of power later, the Yankees’ veteran first baseman captured a milestone blast.
Rizzo clubbed his 300th career home run late in Sunday’s 15-5 win over the Brewers at American Family Field, becoming just the 161st player in MLB history to accomplish the feat.
“It’s amazing. It’s awesome,” Rizzo said. “Milestones like this, you kind of reflect back and take time to just appreciate how hard it is and how much fun it’s been along the way. It’s a great feeling. It comes after a good two days offensively as a team. To bust out, it’s a better feeling.
“All in all, it’s a good day and something I’ll definitely remember.”
Rizzo’s two-run shot, his second in as many days and fourth in his last six games, came off Brewers right-hander Janson Junk.
It was part of a 4-for-4 day for the left-handed slugger, who added a pair of doubles and a walk while scoring three runs.
The 34-year-old Rizzo, in the midst of his 14th season in the big leagues, was able to get the ball back to add to his collection after it landed in the Yankees bullpen.
“It speaks volumes,” Aaron Judge said. “Getting the chance to play with him, I watched him from afar for so many years. To get him here in pinstripes and watch the way he works, how he controls the room, how he keeps guys loose on and off the field and competes every single day. … For him to be a part of that list and counting is pretty special.”
Rizzo also became the 12th active player with at least 300 home runs, a list that includes teammate Giancarlo Stanton (408). Judge (263), who also went deep for the second straight game Sunday, is the next-closest active player to 300 and has a chance to join the club potentially by the end of this season.
“It’s a lot of homers,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s nothing to sneeze at — 300 homers, it’s something to be proud of. [Not] a lot of people are fortunate enough to put on a big-league uniform. A very small percentage do it at the level that Rizz has done it in his career. Three-hundred is a pretty special milestone in what’s been a pretty special career.”
More importantly for the Yankees, Rizzo has looked more like himself over the past week after having last season derailed by post-concussion syndrome.
After hitting .227 with a .590 OPS and one home run through his first 23 games of the season, Rizzo has hit .458 (11-for-24) with a 1.522 OPS and four home runs over his last six games.
“I always emphasize finding that good position [to hit] and staying there and being consistent with it,” Rizzo said. “For me, that’s big. … This game, it comes out of nowhere. When you feel good, it feels good and now it’s just about being consistent with it and sticking with the process.”
