There is currently no proof to argue against Anthony Rizzo as the greatest leadoff hitter of all time.
In five games atop the Cubs' order, the team is 3-2 while the face of the franchise has hit .409 with a .458 on-base percentage and .909 slugging percentage to go with six runs and eight RBI.
Leading off each of those five games, here are Rizzo's results:
-Homer
-Homer
-Walk
-Single
-Double
The Cubs have scored seven first-inning runs in those five games and are averaging 7.4 runs per contest in that stretch. The hot streak has helped Rizzo raise his season OPS 43 points from .862 to .905.
Rizzo hitting leadoff has also helped rookie Ian Happ get rolling in the No. 2 spot in the lineup. Hitting after Rizzo in five straight games, Happ has a hit in each contest, including three homers, two doubles and six RBI.
Meanwhile, the other half of "Bryzzo" is struggling mightily.
MLB
Joe Maddon gave Kris Bryant a complete day off Sunday and did not start him Friday in Pittsburgh. He has struck out in his last five actual at-bats, with a pair of walks worked in there.
Bryant has actually been in a slump for most of June despite clubbing four home runs in the month. He has hit just .208 since the end of May with 15 strikeouts in 15 games and 48 at-bats.
He's basically whiffing once every three at-bats, though he does have 12 walks in June and leads the league with 47 free passes.
Even with the rough stretch, Bryant still has a .919 season OPS and is on pace for 36 homers, 105 runs and 112 walks. His RBI total is suspiciously low (on pace for only 67 on the season), but that may change if he can right the ship while Rizzo is still red-hot atop the order.
Imagine how good this newfangled Cubs lineup would look if both Rizzo and Bryant get going at the same time.
That being said, 2017 has been a year filled with "ifs" that have yet to play out for the reigning World Champs. Plus, Bryant and Rizzo have been the only two constants in the Cubs lineup this year — while hitting mostly second and third, respectively — and yet the team is still only .500 (34-34) in mid-June, proving "Bryzzo" can't do it all by themselves.