(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees have been rather mediocre since early June, when Aaron Judge went down with a toe injury.
But it’s not just because Judge is not in the lineup: other factors have contributed, too.
One of them was definitely Anthony Rizzo’s slump.
Before Sunday, he spent 45 games without a home run, since May 20.
Not only did he not hit a ball out of the park since that day until doing it on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals, but he also had a .492 OPS, 43 wRC+ and -0.9 fWAR since then.
He was struggling badly.
But on Sunday, he finally had that breakout game.
He went 4-for-4 with a double, a homer, three runs, and two RBI.
It was a masterful display, the first one he had in months.
If Rizzo can regain his form and Judge can return soon (he is reportedly getting closer), the Yankees have a chance.
Speaking of Rizzo, he explained the real reason why he had such a great game.
He used Taylor Swift’s “Ready for It?” as his walk-up song.
We are kidding, obviously, but apparently it brought him luck!
“Anthony Rizzo changed his walk-up song to Taylor Swift’s ‘…Ready for It?’ and then went 4-for-4 with a home run. ‘Taylor Swift, it’s her summer, really. She’s helping the economy in every city she goes’ (via Bryan Hoch),” MLB Life tweeted.
Anthony Rizzo changed his walk-up song to Taylor Swift’s “…Ready for It?” and then went 4-for-4 with a home run
“Taylor Swift, it’s her summer, really. She’s helping the economy in every city she goes”
(via @BryanHoch) pic.twitter.com/PphF14k5oq
— MLB Life (@MLBLife) July 25, 2023
Rizzo appears to be a fan of Swift, and it might just have been what he needed to get out of his ugly slump.
It packs a powerful message to the league, too: they better be ready for it if the Yanks can get Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton in form, plus Judge and a hypothetical deadline acquisition or two.
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