It’s not hard to see what there is to like about Seiya Suzuki hitting second in the Cubs lineup.
“What’s his on-base percentage, .800? He’s on base every single time,” Cubs outfielder Ian Happ said after Tuesday’s game.
Well, maybe not .800, and not every single time exactly, but you get the picture.
Even on a day the Cubs lost, and his hitting streak ended, Suzuki reached base in three of four plate appearances Tuesday vs. the Rays, drawing three walks.
It came in a new lineup spot against Tampa Bay. Suzuki, who was named NL Player of the Week Monday, made his first start in the No. 2 hole, after batting fifth or sixth in all but one of his first nine starts this season.
“I think ideally that's a really good spot for him,” Cubs manager David Ross said before the game. “Hits the ball to all fields, gets on base for some guys behind him.
“He's had a lot of success moving in that kind of four or five or six range. Just moved him up a little bit.”
The Rays using an opener Tuesday played a role in the lineup changes. The Cubs wanted to make sure reliever Matt Wisler “faces our best hitters,” Ross said before the game.
MLB
Suzuki falls in that category. His on-base percentage isn’t .800, but he leads all qualified players in baseball in that category (.581).
And while his historic nine-game hitting streak ended Tuesday — he tied Andy Pafko (1943) for the longest hitting streak by a Cub to begin a career — another streak lives on.
Suzuki extended his on-base streak to 11 games — tying the Cubs franchise record for longest to begin a career (also Tony Taylor in 1958 and Art Williams in 1902), according to the team.
As of Tuesday night, Suzuki ranked fourth in MLB in average, second in OPS and was tied for fourth in home runs and fifth in RBIs.
Not bad for a guy who was expected to need time to acclimate to big-league pitching.
“What he's done so far is remarkable,” Cubs president Jed Hoyer said Tuesday. “It is a long season; there's going to be peaks and valleys of course, but we're thrilled he's a Cub.
“He's exceeded our expectations, given the fact that we expected a difficult transition. We know there'll be challenges ahead because everyone faces them. But it’s been a lot of fun to watch so far.”