CHICAGO -- Think back to before Willson Contreras got hurt. The Chicago Cubs catcher was in the midst of a scorching hot streak that was entering its sixth week.
During that time frame, beginning July 1, he hit 12 home runs with a .322 batting average and .389 on-base percentage. There was not a hotter hitter in baseball.
The stretch, which ended when Contreras suffered a strained hamstring, increased his season home run total to 21 -- still five fewer than teammate Anthony Rizzo had at the time. The hot streak also brought Contreras within one RBI of Rizzo, while his batting average zoomed past the first baseman's by 10 points -- yet Rizzo's on-base percentage remained 45 points higher.