Anthony Rizzo is in the midst of a horrendous slump, so it was no surprise to see him taking early batting practice Friday before the Yankees’ 5-4 series opener win over the Royals in The Bronx.
And there with him, animatedly handing out pointers and advice, was new hitting coach Sean Casey.
Rizzo is among those hoping the former major leaguer can get him clicking.
Asked if a new voice could help him get out of his lengthy slump, Rizzo said: “Everyone is different. Young guys have been taught almost a totally different style of hitting than older veterans, so it’s a matter of blending all that.”
That’s one of the challenges for Casey, who took over for Dillon Lawson after the All-Star break.
“Dillon was good with how he communicated, and Sean is different,’’ Rizzo said. “I’ve known Sean for a while, so our conversation has been real easy.
“I’m excited to have him see me.”
Manager Aaron Boone said of Casey, “he’s definitely a different voice, a new voice. Sean has done a really nice job connecting with those guys and laying a foundation.”
Boone pointed to Casey’s “different career path” which includes a successful major league career followed by work at the MLB Network.
“What I’ve seen so far, he’s done a nice job connecting with these guys,’’ Boone said. “Hopefully, we start seeing the fruits from it.”
The offense’s problems go well beyond Rizzo, as Boone called it a “tough stretch for some really good hitters.”
But Rizzo’s woes have stood out, and have continued under Casey’s tutelage.
He entered Friday 2-for-21 with no extra-base hits, a walk and six strikeouts in five games since Casey took over.
His issues at the plate go back a lot longer than that, however.
Entering Friday, Rizzo was in a 41-game stretch in which he had five doubles, no homers and 39 strikeouts to go along with hitting .169 and an OPS of .475.
And he hadn’t homered since May 20.
On Friday night, Rizzo went 0-4 with one strikeout.
“Every time I go in the [batter’s] box, I’m ready to do damage, whether I’m in an awful stretch like I’ve been in or hitting well,’’ Rizzo said. “It makes no difference.”
He has made adjustments to his routine, which is one of the reasons he was hitting early on Friday.
“Sometimes you have to do less to get more, but this is not one of those times,’’ Rizzo said. “I have to figure it out. You have to have belief that you will because if you get too high and too low, it makes for a long season.”
