(670 The Score) Cubs rookie outfielder Seiya Suzuki made more history Monday, extending his hitting streak to nine games to begin his MLB career in Chicago’s 4-2 win against Tampa Bay on a cold evening at Wrigley Field.
With the feat, Suzuki tied Akinori Iwamura for the longest hitting streak by a Japanese-born player at the start of an MLB career. He also tied Andy Pafko's record for a Cubs player at the start of his career, one that was first set in 1943.
Suzuki, 27, is hitting .429 with four homers, 11 RBIs and a 1.493 OPS in the first 10 games of his MLB career. Before hitting cleanup Monday, Suzuki had batted fifth or lower in the lineup in every game. Given that Suzuki has succeeded so quickly and expressed comfort in whatever he has been asked to do, manager David Ross sounds ready to bat him even higher in the order.
“Easing his way in,” Ross said on the Laurence Holmes Show on Tuesday. “I think he’s a top-of-the-lineup type hitter there in the two-three-four area. We started in the six, gave him a little bit of an adjustment period, but he’s taken off. It won’t be long here – maybe today – that he might be up there where I envision him on a regular basis. But just easing him in and getting him the at-bats he needs. He had a late start for us (having signed in mid-March). Trying to get him the most reps we can. Then you throw him out there and you let him have some success or fail and keep throwing him out there. He’ll adjust. He’s a really good athlete and has been good for a long time. You got to trust him now.”
Ross then shared more praise for Suzuki when discussing what about his profile impressed the Cubs so much as they signed him out of Japan on a five-year, $85-million deal.
“A well-rounded player, makes contact, has got power, hits for average, hits to all fields, good defensively, good on the bases, very athletic,” Ross said. “And so far, he seems to be a great human being. He’s fun to be around, good teammate, good in the clubhouse. Yeah, we saw this in his profile. I can’t say that you always know this is going to transition – and that’s a hard transition, some guys coming over from Japan have had a lot of success and some guys have struggled a little bit more. As far as the profile goes, this is somebody we targeted who fits a really good profile for us.”
Suzuki and the Cubs (6-4) host the Rays (5-6) on Tuesday at Wrigley Field. Pregame coverage on 670 The Score begins at 6:05 p.m., with first pitch set for 6:40 p.m.