Epstein sees room for growth in Rizzo, Castro

MILWAUKEE -- Theo Epstein said Tuesday that the Cubs were "nowhere close to where we want to be offensively," and two players who have struggled in that regard are Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro

Rizzo entered Tuesday's game against the Brewers batting .229 with 22 home runs and 75 RBIs, while Castro was hitting .241. What is puzzling is that Rizzo ranks among the National League leaders in walks and extra-base hits.

"If you would've told me that in Spring Training, I would've been really excited about the year Anthony had," said Epstein, the Cubs' president of baseball operations.

"It's really unusual that he accomplished that in the same season where he struggled to hit for average and was really searching a lot at the plate," Epstein said of the first baseman. "Pitchers made the adjustment to him. He tried to make adjustments back. It was a cat-and-mouse game. He was kind of on the losing end of that cat-and-mouse game."

But what Epstein also saw was that Rizzo continued to battle.

"He never gave up, he fought back and I think he'll be better off for this," Epstein said.

Epstein called Castro a "unique hitter" and said the shortstop was "somebody who we want to be himself."

"As an organization, we introduced him to the concept of getting a pitch he can really drive, because in the long run it'll benefit him," Epstein said. "But if that can't be accomplished without him being himself as a hitter, then you have to let time play its course, and I think he'll naturally evolve that way. I think he's in a pretty good place right now. I think he's in a good place now where he's comfortable at the plate."