Yankees slugger credits Taylor Swift for helping him break out of slump
Sep 24, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (48) gestures to the dugout after hitting a two run home run in the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
There is a certified Swiftie inside of the New York Yankees clubhouse.
Former All-Star slugger Anthony Rizzo had been struggling mightily at the dish over the last several weeks. Entering play on Sunday, Rizzo had been hitting a horrid .131 in the month of July (including a recent 0-for-20 skid).
During the Yankees’ weekend series against the Kansas City Royals, Rizzo decided to switch things up a bit. He ditched his batting gloves for his plate appearances and also changed his walk-up song to Taylor Swift’s “… Ready For It?”
Wouldn’t you know it, Rizzo ended up having his best game of the season on Sunday in an 8-5 victory over Kansas City. He went 4-for-4 at the plate and smacked his very first home run since May 20 (over two months ago).
ANTHONY RIZZO DID IT pic.twitter.com/oDDEiliAv7
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 23, 2023
After the game, Rizzo credited Swift for helping him bust out of his prolonged slump.
“Taylor Swift, it’s her summer really,” said Rizzo. “She’s helping the economy in every city she goes. So yeah, [the song change] was good.”
"Taylor Swift… It's her summer, really. She's helping the economy in every city she goes."- Anthony Rizzo.
Rizzo changed his walk-up song to Taylor Swift's "…Ready For It?" and went 4-for-4 with a homer. pic.twitter.com/qNIcjW5u8R
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 23, 2023
That dry spell was uncharacteristic for the 33-year-old Rizzo, who tied a career-best with 32 dingers just last season. Thankfully though, Rizzo was able to [ahem] shake it off and finally get rid of that [wink, wink] blank space in the home run category.
Really terrible Swift puns aside, the pop star remains as in-demand as ever this year. Swift began her ‘The Eras Tour’ in March and continues to sell out stadiums (often on multiple consecutive nights) all across the globe. Now Swift has another confirmed fan in Rizzo, just one of her many enthusiasts throughout Major League Baseball.
