The Chicago Cubs turned the page on a World Series-winning squad last year. How are Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant doing now?
The 2021 season was the end of an era for the Cubs, who shipped out many of the stars who powered their World Series run.
Anthony Rizzo landed with the Yankees, Kyle Schwarber went to the Nationals and then Red Sox, Javier Baez played for the Mets and Kris Bryant headed west to the Giants.
It was strange enough to see those players in other uniforms in the second half for 2021 but now they’ve all gone through free agency and are in the next stage of their careers.
Where are they now and are they thriving?
How have former Cubs stars fared since leaving Chicago
Rizzo enjoyed his time in New York enough to sign a contract with the Yankees. He’s only gotten more comfortable in pinstripes, hitting .230/.343/.500 with 10 home runs and 25 RBI.
Schwarber has also done well since leaving. After hitting 32 home runs in total during an All-Star campaign in 2021, the outfielder is now with the Phillies. He leads the team with 10 home runs while batting .200/312/.448.
Baez had the highest OPS of his career with the Mets last year. He signed with the Tigers in free agency and hasn’t gotten off to a great start. He’s batting .214/.250/.341 with three home runs while Detroit is sitting in fourth in the AL Central.
It’s been an even more frustrating time for Bryant at his new home in Colorado. He has played in just 17 games while dealing with injury and has yet to hit a home run. He’s batting .270/.343/.333 with his OPS of .676 hoving just above his career-low.
Things can obviously change quickly in baseball. There’s a lot of season left to see how these guys do away from the Cubs. And if trade rumors turn out to be true, there’s still time to add Willson Contreras to the mix of former Chicago stars to track.