It doesn't make much sense, but Anthony Rizzo is now officially second base eligible in CBSSports.com leagues. He got there Wednesday against the Padres, his fifth appearance at the position. Officially.
Kind of. Rizzo gets his second-base eligibility through a side door, basically. The Cubs cover some bunt situations with Rizzo playing in, and the typical second baseman covering first base. Some umpires require the Cubs to make an official switch when this occurs – it actually started late last season when Pirates manager Clint Hurdle complained – and even Joe Maddon seemed confused by the inconsistency when it first happened last year:
There's no actual rule that says you can't do that. It's just interpretation by the crew chief. If they want us to be able to do that, we will. Nobody was upset. Two crews have said no, one crew has said yes. I still don't understand the dispute and why it's a big deal. We'll play good in the sand box. Just tell us what [the rule] is. The guy closest to first base has to have a first baseman's mitt. That's what they're telling me. My response to that is when [Kris Bryant] goes and plays in the slot in right field [on a shift] and a ground ball is hit to him, how do you score it? 5-3. If a bunt is hit to Rizzo in that little defense and he throws to second base and then to first, how is that scored? 3-6-4 double play. He's still the first baseman.
You don't have to like it – I certainly don't! – but this is the world we live in now. And it is, of course, big news for Fantasy players who own Rizzo. There's no guarantee you'll use him at second, but it's hard to imagine a scenario in which you won't. If you have Jose Altuve at second, you probably won't want to switch Rizzo over there, but that's pretty much the only scenario.
Yes, Rizzo is now the No. 2 second baseman in my rankings, and I would expect the same will be true across the board. To give you an idea of how big a change this is, just look at where Rizzo ranks at both positions based on his (disappointing) performance so far:
First base: 18th in Roto, fifth in H2H points
Second base: 10th in Roto, 2nd in H2H points
This isn't some small difference. He has been a pretty replaceable first baseman in Roto, ranking more among the corner infield/utility options during his relatively slow start. At second, however, he has been an obvious starting option, which simply shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
We've seen guys like Justin Bour, Yonder Alonso, Justin Smoak and Tommy Joseph get red hot this season, and still barely reach the 80's in ownership as first-base eligible players. Starlin Castro, with an OPS more than 120 points lower than Bour, is owned in 20 percent more leagues. The replacement level at first base is just so much higher.
If you have Rizzo, you can now play him and Bour together. Or Alonso. Or Smoak. Any of whom would currently rank well inside the top-10 at second base for the rest of the season, but who might not even be top-15 at the crowded first-base position. That's a huge advantage, and one you definitely need to take advantage of. Add in the utility spot, and even in a H2H points league with shallower rosters, you can now start three first basemen, the most productive players in baseball, typically.
This is another reminder of how much pure, random, dumb luck plays in Fantasy sports. Maybe you noticed Rizzo got an appearance at second last season – plus another in the postseason – and drafted him with that in mind, but I doubt it. This was about as big a surprise development as any freak injury, and it is going to give Rizzo owners a big leg up on the competition. Congratulations!
Now let's just hope the rest of us get so lucky. Maybe the Marlins can start having Bour behind the plate for a few pitches a week to make up for it. Pretty please?
