The lowdown on FA slugger Kyle Schwarber
Andrew Simon
@AndrewSimonMLBKyle Schwarber is a free agent for the second straight offseason, and his stock looks to be a bit higher this time around. A year ago, the Cubs non-tendered the left-handed slugger in a cost-cutting move, rather than pay him in his final turn through arbitration. Schwarber settled for a one-year, $10 million contract with the Nationals, including a $3 million buyout on an $11.5 million mutual option for 2022 that he declined after being traded to the Red Sox in July. He's re-entering the open market coming off a significantly stronger season that resulted in his first All-Star selection.
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Here’s what you need to know about Schwarber:
FAST FACTS
Birthdate: March 5, 1993 (Age 29 in 2022)
Primary position: LF
Height/weight: 6-foot-0, 229 pounds
Bats/throws: Left/right
Place of birth: Middletown, Ohio
School(s): Middletown (Ohio) HS; Indiana University
Drafted: 1st round (4th), 2014, by Cubs
MLB debut: June 16, 2015
Qualifying offer: Not eligible to receive one
STAT TO KNOW
This summer, with Washington, Schwarber went on a power binge like few others in history. First, he tied an MLB record with five homers over a two-game span (June 19-20). Then, he became only the fifth player to go deep nine times in a six-game span (June 19-25). Finally, he tied Albert Belle’s all-time record of 12 big flies in a 10-game span (June 19-29), as well as Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds' record of 16 in an 18-game stretch (June 12-29).
QUESTION MARK
One issue is Schwarber’s defense, as his -37 Outs Above Average (OAA) in the outfield since 2016 ranks fourth-worst in MLB. (However, he did get some time at first base with Boston this year, and a universal DH, if instituted for 2022, would help his cause). Another is Schwarber’s .684 career OPS against left-handed pitchers. He did post a .788 mark in 2021, but will teams view him as an everyday lineup staple regardless of matchup? Schwarber has gotten more than 510 plate appearances in a season only once (2019).
He has a flair for the dramatic
Even before he produced that midseason homer explosion in 2021, Schwarber had launched some pretty notable dingers. Back on April 16 against the D-backs, he ended what was a 0-0 game with a second-deck shot in the bottom of the ninth for his first Nationals home run. That one flew 463 feet. Two weeks later, Schwarber’s 115.4 mph, 454-foot moonshot into the second deck turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1, walk-off win over the Marlins. After seven seasons of Statcast tracking, those blasts both rank among the five longest walk-off bombs.
He's a leadoff man for modern times
Would it surprise you to know that Schwarber has now started more games batting leadoff than in any other lineup spot? Well, it's true. Through 2021, he has 123 starts in the top spot (27 of them this year), with the No. 2 spot (107) a close fourth behind sixth (121) and fifth (108). In any previous era, a player with Schwarber's build and tools never would have seen the top of a lineup. But times have changed, and teams now prize on-base ability and even power in a tablesetter, while not necessarily requiring that he be a threat on the bases. (Schwarber is just 12-for-23 all-time on steal attempts). So regardless of what uniform he wears in 2022, don't be surprised if Schwarber is at or near the top of the lineup.
He authored an incredible October comeback
Cubs fans certainly will never forget what Schwarber did in 2016. Coming off a promising rookie year, Schwarber was playing left field in just his second game of the season when he collided with center fielder Dexter Fowler and sustained multiple ligament tears in his left knee. It was supposed to be a season-ending injury and it was -- but also wasn’t. While Schwarber did not appear again in the regular season, the former high school linebacker made an unbelievable, heroic return in the World Series. In four starts as the Cubs’ DH in Cleveland, plus another pinch-hit appearance, he went 7-for-17 (.412) with three walks and two RBIs, and his leadoff single in the 10th inning of Game 7 set up Chicago’s two-run inning that brought home a ring.
There’s catching in his past
In case you forgot, Schwarber played behind the plate not so long ago. In his final season at Indiana in 2014, he was a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award, given to the top NCAA catcher. The Cubs drafted him at that position, and he played there a significant amount during his short time in the Minors before starting 15 games behind the dish in his rookie season in 2015. However, other than a couple of brief cameos totalling eight innings, Schwarber hasn’t donned a chest protector since then.
A monster as a Hoosier
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that he was the fourth overall pick in the Draft, but Schwarber was an absolute nightmare for amateur pitchers. After batting .474 with a .643 OBP as a high school senior, he moved on to Indiana and became an immediate impact player as a freshman. Schwarber led the Big Ten in OBP, slugging and homers as both a sophomore and a junior, batting .358/.464/.659 in the latter year.