Anthony Rizzo · Biography

At 12:47 a.m. Eastern on November 2, 2016, with rain still falling on Progressive Field in Cleveland, Kris Bryant fielded a slow grounder from Michael Martinez and threw across the diamond. Anthony Rizzo caught it, sealing an 8-7, ten-inning win in Game 7 of the World Series, and tucked the ball into his back pocket. The Chicago Cubs had their first championship since 1908. Anthony Vincent Rizzo, a left-handed first baseman born on August 8, 1989, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball between 2011 and 2024 for the San Diego Padres, the Cubs and the New York Yankees.

Parkland, the draft and Hodgkin's lymphoma

Rizzo grew up in Parkland and played at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The Boston Red Sox took him in the sixth round of the 2007 draft and signed him for $325,000, pulling him away from a commitment to Florida Atlantic University. In April 2008, less than a year after signing, he was diagnosed with limited-stage classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. He went through about six months of chemotherapy; on September 2, 2008, he was reported to be in remission, and on November 18 that year his doctor said he could live a normal life.

From Boston to San Diego

On December 6, 2010, Boston sent Rizzo to the Padres along with Casey Kelly, Reymond Fuentes and Eric Patterson in the trade that brought Adrián González to Fenway Park. He made his big league debut on June 9, 2011, at Petco Park against the Washington Nationals, a 7-3 San Diego win. It was his only season with the Padres: on January 6, 2012, San Diego traded him and Zach Cates to the Cubs for pitcher Andrew Cashner and Kyung-Min Na.

A decade at Wrigley Field

Chicago called him up from Triple-A Iowa on June 26, 2012, and he never went back down. He was an All-Star in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and won the Heart & Hustle Award in 2015. In 2016 he added the Silver Slugger, his first Gold Glove and the fan-voted Platinum Glove; in the World Series against Cleveland he scored seven runs and drove in five. Further Gold Gloves followed in 2018, 2019 and 2020, four in all. In 2017 he received the Roberto Clemente Award, announced on October 27, which MLB gives for community work. Over ten seasons in Chicago he hit.272 with 242 home runs and 784 RBIs, the sixth-highest home run total in club history when he retired in 2025.

Italy at the 2013 World Baseball Classic

His family traces its roots to Ciminna, in Sicily, and that heritage allowed him to play for Italy at the 2013 World Baseball Classic. In five games he went 4-for-17 and drew five walks.

The New York years

On July 29, 2021, the Cubs traded him, along with cash, to the New York Yankees for Kevin Alcántara and Alexander Vizcaíno. On March 17, 2022, he signed a two-year, $32 million deal, and on November 15, 2022, he agreed to a new two-year, $40 million contract with an option for 2025. On May 28, 2023, he collided with Fernando Tatís Jr. on a pickoff play; on August 3 he went on the injured list with post-concussion syndrome, and in September he was shut down for the year. On June 18, 2024, he broke his arm in a collision with pitcher Brennan Bernardino and returned on September 1. On September 28 a pitch from a Pittsburgh reliever fractured several fingers on his right hand: he missed the Division Series and was added to the roster for the Championship Series. In November 2024 the Yankees declined his $17 million option and paid a $6 million buyout.

Retirement

On September 10, 2025, he announced his retirement as a Cub and joined the organization as a team ambassador. He finished with 1,727 games, 1,644 hits, 303 home runs, 965 RBIs and a.261 batting average. On September 13, 2025, the Cubs honored him at Wrigley Field before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays.