Biographical

Portrait of Kyle Schwarber

Kyle Schwarber LF  

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2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 26)
PA AVG HR R RBI SB DRC+ WARP
508 .240 22 63 70 3 113 2.4
Birth Date3-5-1993
Height6' 0"
Weight229 lbs
Age31 years, 1 months, 20 days
BatsL
ThrowsR
1.62015
-0.02016
1.22017
1.92018
2.42019
proj
WARP Summary

MLB Statistics

YEAR TEAM AGE G PA H 2B 3B HR BB SO HBP SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ DRAA BRR FRAA BWARP
2015 CHN 22 69 273 57 6 1 16 36 77 4 3 3 .246 .355 .487 125 8.8 3.4 -4.4 1.6
2016 CHN 23 2 5 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 .000 .200 .000 77 -0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0
2017 CHN 24 129 486 89 16 1 30 59 150 5 1 1 .211 .315 .467 95 -1.7 0.6 2.7 1.2
2018 CHN 25 137 510 102 14 3 26 78 140 1 4 3 .238 .356 .467 111 8.5 -3.4 2.7 1.9
2019 CHN 26 155 610 132 29 3 38 70 156 5 2 3 .250 .339 .531 121 19.5 -5.0 -0.5 2.7
Career4921884380658110244525151010.235.339.49011235.0-4.40.57.5

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.
YEAR Team Lg LG G PA oppAVG oppOBP oppSLG BABIP BPF BRAA repLVL POS_ADJ DRC+ DRC+ SD FRAA BRR DRAA BWARP
2014 KNC A MID 23 96 .280 .339 .417 .419 97 0.8 0.6 -0.1 101 0 -0.1 -0.1 -0.3 0.0
2014 BOI A- NOR 5 24 .000 .000 .000 .533 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2014 DAY A+ FSL 44 191 .250 .319 .371 .328 101 13.4 5.6 -0.7 152 0 1.3 -0.7 7.1 1.3
2015 CHN MLB NL 69 273 .259 .325 .413 .293 93 14.5 7.4 -0.4 125 10 -4.4 3.4 8.8 1.6
2015 TEN AA SOU 58 243 .257 .330 .378 .365 98 26.3 6.5 1.3 189 0 3.7 0.3 17.6 3.2
2015 IOW AAA PCL 17 67 .258 .316 .384 .500 88 8.4 1.9 0.8 164 0 0.1 0.1 3.2 0.6
2016 CHN MLB NL 2 5 .229 .300 .348 .000 101 -0.8 0.1 0 77 7 0.0 0.0 -0.1 0.0
2016 MSS Wnt AFL 2 8 .000 .000 .000 .167 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2017 CHN MLB NL 129 486 .258 .328 .433 .244 99 4.2 14.2 -3.7 95 8 2.7 0.6 -1.7 1.2
2017 IOW AAA PCL 11 44 .266 .351 .425 .421 99 6.1 1.3 -0.4 158 0 -1.5 -0.1 3.3 0.3
2018 CHN MLB NL 137 510 .252 .320 .414 .288 99 14.4 14.3 -3.6 111 10 2.7 -3.4 8.5 1.9
2019 CHN MLB NL 155 610 .251 .322 .433 .276 98 24.3 18.4 -4.4 121 10 -0.5 -5.0 19.5 2.7

Statistics For All Levels

Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.
Year Team lvl LG PA AB R H 2B 3B HR TB RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG ISO SF SH
2014 BOI A- NOR 24 20 7 12 1 1 4 27 10 2 2 0 1 .600 .625 1.350 .750 1
2014 DAY A+ FSL 191 159 31 48 9 1 10 89 28 26 38 4 0 .302 .393 .560 .258 5
2014 KNC A MID 96 83 17 30 8 0 4 50 15 11 17 1 1 .361 .448 .602 .241 0
2015 TEN AA SOU 243 197 39 63 10 1 13 114 39 42 49 1 0 .320 .438 .579 .259 2 1
2015 CHN MLB NL 273 232 52 57 6 1 16 113 43 36 77 3 3 .246 .355 .487 .241 1 0
2015 IOW AAA PCL 67 60 7 20 7 1 3 38 10 7 23 0 0 .333 .403 .633 .300 0 0
2016 MSS Wnt AFL 8 6 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 .167 .375 .333 .167 0 0
2016 CHN MLB NL 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 .000 .200 .000 .000 0 0
2017 IOW AAA PCL 44 35 9 12 1 0 4 25 9 8 12 0 0 .343 .477 .714 .371 0 0
2017 CHN MLB NL 486 422 67 89 16 1 30 197 59 59 150 1 1 .211 .315 .467 .256 0 0
2018 CHN MLB NL 510 428 64 102 14 3 26 200 61 78 140 4 3 .238 .356 .467 .229 2 1
2019 CHN MLB NL 610 529 82 132 29 3 38 281 92 70 156 2 3 .250 .339 .531 .282 6 0

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr% CSAA
2015 1153 0.4276 0.4441 0.6563 0.6187 0.3136 0.7246 0.5556 0.3438 0.0001
2016 28 0.4286 0.3929 0.5455 0.5833 0.2500 0.5714 0.5000 0.4545 0.0000
2017 2087 0.4677 0.4423 0.6999 0.6260 0.2808 0.7643 0.5737 0.3001 0.0000
2018 2138 0.4443 0.4135 0.6957 0.6021 0.2626 0.7937 0.5160 0.3043 0.0000
2019 2511 0.4584 0.4309 0.7181 0.6169 0.2735 0.7972 0.5672 0.2819 0.0000
Career79170.45250.43100.69760.61540.27820.77620.55320.30240.0000

Injury History  —  No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On Date Off Transaction Days Games Side Body Part Injury Severity Surgery Date Reaggravation

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2025 PHI $20,000,000
2024 PHI $20,000,000
2023 PHI $20,000,000
2022 PHI $19,000,000
2021 CHN $7,000,000
2020 CHN $7,010,000
2019 CHN $3,390,000
2018 CHN $604,500
2017 CHN $565,500
2016 CHN $522,000
2015 CHN $
YearsDescriptionSalary
8 yrPrevious$58,092,000
2019Current$20,000,000
9 yrPvs + Cur$78,092,000
1 yrFuture$20,000,000
10 yrTotal$98,092,000

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status
7 y 86 dExcel4 years/$79M (2022-25)

Details
  • 4 years/$79M (2022-25). igned by Philadelphia as a free agent 3/17/22. 22:$19M, 23:$20M, 24:$20M, 25:$20M.
  • 1 year/$10M (2021). Signed by Washington as a free agent 1/9/21. 21:$7M, 22:$11.5M mutual option ($3M buyout). Schwarber declined 2022 option 11/4/21.
  • 1 year/$7.01M (2020). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 1/10/20 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$3.39M (2019). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 1/11/19 (avoided arbitration).
  • 1 year/$604,500 (2018). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/18.
  • 1 year/$565,500 (2017). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/9/17.
  • 1 year/$522,000 (2016). Re-signed by Chicago Cubs 3/4/16.
  • 1 year (2015). Contract selected by Chicago Cubs 6/16/15.
  • Drafted by Chicago Cubs 2014 (1-4) (Indiana). $3.125M signing bonus ($4.6212M slot).

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT PA R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG DRC+ VORP FRAA WARP
90o 42 10 2 0 2 5 11 0 0 .270 .357 .486 128 3.0 LF 0 0.0
80o 29 6 1 0 1 3 7 0 0 .240 .321 .400 123 1.8 LF 0 0.0
70o 19 5 1 0 1 2 5 0 0 .294 .368 .529 119 1.1 LF 0 0.0
60o 11 1 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 .111 .200 .111 116 0.6 LF 0 0.0
50o 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 .000 .000 113 0.1 LF 0 0.0
Weighted Mean400000100.000.000.0001130.2LF 00.0

Preseason Long-Term Forecast (Beyond the 2019 Projections)

Playing time estimates are based on performance, not Depth Charts.
Year Age PA R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB AVG OBP SLG DRC+ WARP VORP BRR POS_ADJ REP_ADJ RAA FRAA
202027515711061922169621323.240.336.4371122.020.7-1.1-0.913.29.5-2.2
202128509701052022169601312.240.335.4401132.020.6-1.1-1.013.19.6-2.1
202229508711072022371601301.242.336.4501152.222.7-1.0-1.213.111.8-2.1
202330505701052022169591290.241.335.4431142.121.2-1.0-1.313.010.5-2.1
20243148666991911963591250.236.334.4241091.617.0-0.9-1.412.56.8-2.0
20253247163951821961571230.232.329.4231081.415.3-0.9-1.512.15.5-2.0
20263342056861711755491090.234.328.4261081.313.5-0.8-1.410.84.9-1.8
2027343684973141144743960.229.324.4141040.99.8-0.7-1.39.52.3-1.6
2028353264466121134237860.232.325.4191050.89.0-0.6-1.38.42.5-1.4

Comparable Players (Similarity Index 70)

Rank Score Name Year DRC+ Trend
1 80 Adam Dunn 2006 115
2 79 Ryan Klesko 1997 105
3 78 Mitchell Page 1978 116
4 78 Carlos Gonzalez 2012 114
5 76 Paul Goldschmidt 2014 142
6 76 Joc Pederson 2018 118
7 75 Justin Upton 2014 127
8 75 Jay Bruce 2013 116
9 74 Derek Dietrich 2016 102
10 73 Tim Salmon 1995 167
11 73 Mike Young 1986 96
12 73 Prince Fielder 2010 130
13 73 Anthony Rizzo 2016 139
14 73 Lance Berkman 2002 151
15 73 Randal Grichuk 2018 109
16 72 Pedro Alvarez 2013 113
17 72 Barry Bonds 1991 155
18 72 Nick Swisher 2007 121
19 72 Willie McCovey 1964 106
20 72 Pat Burrell 2003 94
21 72 Jorge Soler 2018 101
22 72 Austin Kearns 2006 110
23 72 Brandon Belt 2014 106
24 72 Darryl Strawberry 1988 153
25 72 David Justice 1992 122
26 72 Gary Roenicke 1981 92
27 71 Manny Ramirez 1998 150
28 71 Ike Davis 2013 84
29 71 Grady Sizemore 2009 112
30 71 Ryan Braun 2010 124
31 71 Rocky Colavito 1960 110
32 71 Joey Votto 2010 163
33 71 Joe Charboneau 1981 74
34 70 Frank Robinson 1962 172
35 70 Kal Daniels 1990 146
36 70 Dan Pasqua 1988 114
37 70 Jim Thome 1997 153
38 70 Phil Plantier 1995 108
39 70 George Springer 2016 124
40 70 Greg Luzinski 1977 156
41 70 Carlos Quentin 2009 116
42 70 Chase Headley 2010 93
43 70 Leon Durham 1984 129
44 70 Evan Longoria 2012 140
45 70 Mark Teixeira 2006 128
46 70 Wily Mo Pena 2008 53
47 69 Harmon Killebrew 1962 136
48 69 Ken Griffey 1996 145
49 69 Kris Bryant 2018 109
50 69 Willie Horton 1969 122
51 69 Erubiel Durazo 2000 109
52 69 Jason Bay 2005 144
53 69 Mark McGwire 1990 148
54 69 Mark Reynolds 2010 100
55 69 Miguel Cabrera 2009 145
56 69 Jake Lamb 2017 119
57 69 Oswaldo Arcia 2017 0 DNP
58 68 Danny Tartabull 1989 127
59 68 Kevin Maas 1991 106
60 68 Boog Powell 1968 118
61 68 Willie Mays 1957 163
62 68 Troy Glaus 2003 115
63 68 Eddie Mathews 1958 113
64 68 David Wright 2009 111
65 68 Matt Joyce 2011 123
66 68 Corey Dickerson 2015 101
67 68 Aaron Judge 2018 137
68 68 Jeff Burroughs 1977 124
69 68 Danny Gardella 1946 0 DNP
70 68 Dusty Rhodes 1953 88
71 68 Leon Wagner 1960 99
72 68 Justin Morneau 2007 117
73 68 Jon Nunnally 1998 87
74 68 Goose Goslin 1927 124
75 67 Will Clark 1990 116
76 67 Jose Canseco 1991 150
77 67 Jimmie Hall 1964 117
78 67 Freddie Freeman 2016 146
79 67 Ian Stewart 2011 46
80 67 Matt Adams 2015 79
81 67 Marty Cordova 1996 109
82 67 Matt Kemp 2011 162
83 67 Bobby Bonds 1972 119
84 67 Charlie Keller 1943 149
85 67 John Mayberry 1975 169
86 66 Steve Kemp 1981 125
87 66 Bob Horner 1984 104
88 66 Mike Carp 2012 85
89 66 J.D. Drew 2002 104
90 66 Wes Covington 1958 151
91 66 Reggie Jackson 1972 131
92 66 Don Mincher 1964 124
93 66 Alex Avila 2013 84
94 66 Jonny Gomes 2007 99
95 66 Sixto Lezcano 1980 106
96 66 Chris Duncan 2007 114
97 66 Jesse Barfield 1986 144
98 66 Glenn Davis 1987 108
99 66 Rico Carty 1966 136
100 66 Bob Robertson 1973 117

BP Annual Player Comments

YearComment
2019  Due to publishing agreements, the 2019 player comments and team essays are only available in the Baseball Prospectus 2019 book (available in hardcopy, and soon e-book and Kindle).
2018 In the batter's box, Schwarber has the presence and power of an RPG miniboss. In left field, he has the grace and polish of a DOS text adventure. Pitchers cast mute on him for much of last year, forcing the Cubs' hand into demoting him to Triple-A in late June with a .168 batting average. Schwarber returned two weeks later and hit .255/.338/.565 with 18 homers in 65 games down the stretch. He reached 30 homers on the season for the first time at age 24, but the man without a position is just going to be in the lineup to bash and possibly write letters begging the commissioner's office to institute the designated hitter in both leagues. Chasing around a fast-moving white sphere near a hidden brick wall can be hazardous to one's health.
2017 The thing about Schwarber is that it matters whether he can catch. The other thing about Schwarber is that we’re really not sure whether he can catch. A horrific knee injury sustained in his second game of the 2016 campaign kept the young slugger out for the remainder of the regular season, and cast increasingly deep shadows over what was already a fairly murky exercise for Schwarber. He’s got the work ethic to be a first-tier backstop and the Cubs’ catching infrastructure—led by Mike Borzello and the coaching staff—shouldn’t be second-guessed, but with knees being the way they are and his bat being as valuable as it is, it might not be worth it to force the issue. If they do and it works, he’ll be an MVP candidate. If they don’t, he’ll still be a very good big-league hitter.
2016 When the Cubs needed a designated hitter for a stretch of games in the middle of June, the choice was both obvious and unusual. Unusual because the typical Double-A catcher cannot contribute immediately to an MLB lineup. Obvious because Schwarber was no typical Double-A catcher. In only 58 games in the Southern League, Schwarber clapped 13 homers. His first professional season, 2014, lasted only 72 games, but he still managed to knock 18 dongs and 18 doubles. Following his week as the Cubs' DH, he went to Triple-A, where he hit another three homers in just 17 games. Behind the plate, a Molina he is not, but Schwarber's bat should continue to force its way into Joe Maddon's lineup even with Miguel Montero as the team's no. 1 catcher. Lucky for Maddon, then, that the Cubs' front office has provided him with a roster chock full of positional flexibility.
2015 The Cubs picked Schwarber fourth overall in the 2014 draft, raising eyebrows. He was seen as a bat-only prospect without much projection on defense. Even if he can't catch, though, the Cubs think he'll stick in left; they note impressive athleticism despite his being a, uh, big-bodied young man. In his three months in the system, Schwarber exceeded all expectations: He crushed the ball at three levels and displayed the perfect combination of average, power and approach. He also has a dogged work ethic and desire to prove the naysayers wrong about his defense.

The conundrum for the Cubs: Do you move him up the chain as fast as his bat calls for (very fast) or do you slow him down, pair him with your best catching coach and let him try to learn that craft? Two years ago, this would have been no debate: The major-league team's daily goal was merely to not be too embarrassed, so there was no reason to rush anyone. As the Cubs transition into contention, though, the gap between Schwarber and a random left fielder could make enough difference to be worth giving up on dreams of the next Mike Piazza.

BP Articles

Click here to see articles tagged with Kyle Schwarber

BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2020-02-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)I enjoy your work. Thanks for the chat! More valuable: 2 years of Kyle Schwarber or 6 years of AJ Puk? H2H 30 team dynasty league Categories: PA, HR, XBH, BB, SB, AVG and IP, QS, SV, K, ERA, WHIP
(Festivus313 from Phoenix )		Thanks! 6 years of Puk is more valuable (Jesse Roche)
2020-02-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)Do you think Kyle Schwarber will continue to improve?
(Vic from Baltimore)		Maybe. I think the power is tapped out--hard to get better than 99th percentile hard hit rate--and he already has a pretty leveraged swing (15 degree average launch angle). Maybe he hits more balls in the air and flirts with 50 homers, but that is a 99th percentile type outcome. I do think he could continue to cut down his whiff rate (28%) and make more contact to raise his average. Schwarber has it in him to have a .290/40 season (his 90th percentile PECOTA outcome is .290/.395/.620 with 39 home runs), but a lot will have to go right, starting with lowered strikeout rate and plenty of BABIP overperformance. (Jesse Roche)
2019-06-21 15:00:00 (link to chat)5x5 roto w OBP. I have Joey Gallo, Andrelton Simmons, and Jake Lamb getting ready to come of the DL so I'm going to have to drop some folks. Assuming no positional adjustments necessary, in what order would you drop these players: Profar, C. Hernandez, J. Donaldson, Jackie Bradley, DDS, JaCoby Jones, Cole Calhoun, Kyle Schwarber, Jake Lamb.
(bmmcmahon from Newport Beach, CA)		Jones, Profar, Cesar, Lamb, JBJ, DeShields, Calhoun, Schwarber, Donaldson. (Jon Hegglund)
2019-02-06 21:00:00 (link to chat)I am rebuilding in a dynasty league and the core of my team is made up of Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Bichette, Adell, Huira, Luzardo, Walker Buehler, Flaherty and Jameson Tallion. Some prospects that I have that are further away are Kelenic, Swaggerty, Hoerner, Oneill Cruz, Bryse Wilson, Eric Pardinho, Graterol, and Corbin Martin. From a roster construction stand point, would you trade Keston Huira for Forrest Whitley because I seem to have more hitting depth and Whitley has a shot to be an ace or would you keep Huira because pitchers are hurt so often and hitters tend to last a decade? Muchas Gracias. I will save you some rings.
(Sonic Not the Hedgehog from Eating Rings Somewhere)		I would not make that trade. If you're rebuilding, there's no reason to push in for pitchers until you're ready to turn the corner. -BS (Dynasty 101 Chat w/ Ben Carsley and Bret Sayre)
2017-06-20 13:00:00 (link to chat)If the cubs gave in and traded Kyle Schwarber up to an AL team, what would the return be?
(BC from Urbandale)		Surprisingly good, I think. You don't usually think of bat-only guys getting a lot of love, but I was looking at AL teams with a hole in the OF or DH slots who could be buyers: Toronto, Cleveland, maybe the Angels, maybe Baltimore? The Royals have gotten absolutely nothing from their corners or their DH but it's hard to see them as buyers. (No, Red Sox fans, HanRam is not going to sit so Schwarber can DH, forget about it.) So maybe a blue chip prospect, a major-league quality bullpen arm, and a lottery ticket? I question whether the Cubs will move him, though. (Rob Mains)
2017-06-27 20:00:00 (link to chat)Schwarber struck out 3 times last night in Des Moines. looks absolutely lost at the plate. can you compare this to another guy in recent past who was hot, then struggled like this but bounced back?
(BC from Urbandale)		As with all Kyle Schwarber questions, the answer is always Michael Conforto, somehow. (Jarrett Seidler)
2017-06-13 12:00:00 (link to chat)Kyle Schwarber and Addison Russell aren't really this bad are they? I like when they play well more than when they don't play well
(Swagger Leslie from Hell )		No, they're not this bad, but Schwarber is a good reminder of the Aaron Judge hype train situation. As is Greg Bird a bit. Obviously injuries play a part in both situations, but these guys aren't concrete, finished products just because they're crushing for a while. (Craig Goldstein)
2017-05-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)Will Vince and co. totally botch Shinsuke's run? Also, who baseball's king of strong style? Miguel Sano? Giancarlo Stanton? Aaron Judge? Kyle Schwarber?
(Punchoutpappy from First in Flight)		How Vince will handle Shinsuke's run is one of the great concerns of my life right now. His match against Dolph at Backlash didn't do anything to ease my concerns. Ultimately, I have to believe his star power will keep him from being completely wasted, but...I understand why you're worried.

Who's baseball's king of strong style? Sano. Why is that my answer to that question? Sometimes your heart just knows. (Eric Roseberry)
2017-05-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)Would you trade Danny Salazar for Kyle Schwarber? 10-tm h2h standard scoring with OPS and QS
(Ombudsman from NY)		Yea, I would. Schwarber is getting tagged as "overrated" or a "disappointment" at the moment, but he's the type of guy you don't want to write off. There is too much talent there for him to hit .220 for an entire season. The power will be there in the summer. (George Bissell)
2016-07-19 14:00:00 (link to chat)From your perspective, what's the absolute best return the Yankees can get in a trade for either Miller or Chapman? Obviously SP and OF depth are two of their bigger needs right now.
(Sean from NJ)		There's been talk recently of the Yankees telling the Cubs that they'd want Kyle Schwarber in exchange for Miller. That would certainly be nice. However, the Indians represent the most logical landing spot for me. They desperately need a lefty presence in their bullpen, and Chapman would sort of automatically be the closer and not have the flexibility that Miller offers them. Yanks have also been scouting their system of late, per reports. Regardless, they'd want top-flight young talent in a trade for either of those arms. (Nicolas Stellini)
2016-07-13 15:00:00 (link to chat)More likely to be traded this year: Dan Vogelbach, Kyle Schwarber, none, or both?
(seddrah from Seattle)		Vogelbach; don't see the Cubs moving Schwarber while he's on the DL. (Brendan Gawlowski)
2016-06-15 20:00:00 (link to chat)If the Cubs get Aroldis Chapman, can you book the World Series? Also, what do you think it would take to aquire him?
(BC from Urbandale)		You can book the NLDS either way, but calling the World Series a shoe in is impossible for any team. The playoffs represent a different game than a 162 marathon. Do their odds improve? Yeah. But as for what it would take? The Yankees reportedly want Kyle Schwarber, which isn't happening. Jeimer Candelario seems like a nice fit with the Yankees, and would almost definitely be involved. The Cubs FO isn't going to trade someone they don't see as expendable, and I have my doubts the Cubs are interested in Chapman due to his past issues. Getting one of Chapman or Miller seems to be a priority of many NL clubs because of the dominant lefty hitters in the league. (Grant Jones)
2016-06-21 20:00:00 (link to chat)Next BIG prospect nobody is talking about?
(Rob from Chicago)		Carson Fulmer, since his numbers this year stink? Ian Happ, since anything short of reaching the majors the year after being drafted is a disappointment for a college hitter drafted by the Cubs thanks to Kyle Schwarber? (Scooter Hotz)
2016-04-12 18:00:00 (link to chat)Will Kyle Schwarber ever be the same? Will this injury ccause any loss of power in that swing?
(BC from Urbandale)		This is a good question, if an (obviously) unfortunate one. It's really too soon to say. I will say that there's a strong chance that he might not be able to stay in the outfield now. But, I hope I'm wrong. (Christopher Crawford)
2016-03-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)If you re-drafted the 2014 draft right now, regardless of team need, what would the first 5 picks be in order? Schwarbs #1? Turner, Rodon, Conforto, Newcomb? Maybe Nola in there?
(Q-Ball from Chicago)		So many good options. I do probably go Kyle Schwarber at No. 1, but I'd probably lean on Michael Conforto at No. 2 before even Turner or Rodon. That dude can *hit*. I'm big on Bradley Zimmer, so definitely some combo of him, Carlos Rodon, Trea Turner to round out my five. Poor Tyler Kolek. (Bryan Grosnick)
2016-03-09 19:00:00 (link to chat)Mike, I need big time help here. I'm so lost on who to keep. I've made a couple bad moves that just seem to keep snowballing after drafting yoan last year and trying to send him down to my minor leagues (the guys with the top 2 waiver spots wouldn't budge and still won't). 12 team H2H points league... Which 8 do I keep??? Yoan, schwarber, Carlos Gomez, Franco, Carpenter, A Jones, Pujols, Quintana, Samardjzia, sonny Gray, Cueto, Shelby Miller, Teheran. Thank you sooo much!!!
(Clark from Corn Maze)		Yoan Moncada, Kyle Schwarber, Gomez, Maikel Franco, Matt Carpenter, Sonny Cray, Johnny Cueto, and Adam Jones. (Mike Gianella)
2016-03-09 19:00:00 (link to chat)Who'd you do: Vogelbach or Schwarber?
(Joey from Chicago )		Kyle Schwarber, though I'm not as enamored with Dan Vogelbach as some are. (Mike Gianella)
2016-02-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)My buddy made this trade in fantasy (with a couple draft picks as well): Bryce Harper and Max Scherzer for Chris Sale, Miguel Sano, Kyle Schwarber and Noah Syndergaard Is he crazy?
(Tommy from Chicago)		If he got the quartet, he won that trade in a friggin' runaway. Unless I don't understand fantasy baseball, which is totally possible. (Matthew Trueblood)
2016-03-03 13:00:00 (link to chat)Two catcher dynasty points league: Chris Sale or Kyle Schwarber?
(doog7642 from Blaine, MN)		Schwarber, I always take the hitter over the pitcher. (Christopher Crawford)
2016-01-14 20:00:00 (link to chat)Any of the top 2nd yr guys you worried about having one of those sophomore slumps?
(WisBrave99 from WI)		Miguel Sano and Kyle Schwarber jump out at me, and generally speaking they fit the profile of the type of second year players I wprry about: hitters with a high whiff profile who I could see getting exposed/attacked differently their second year in the league. (Mike Gianella)
2015-10-22 14:00:00 (link to chat)What do the Cubs do with Kyle Schwarber if he can't catch? SSS obviously, but his play in the outfield hasn't been encouraging thus far.
(Dan from New York)		This is quickly becoming the big question of their offseason, eh? I'm on record with the belief that he'll be in left field to open the season, but I think they'll have him work some (less often than this year, probably) behind the plate before and between games, and he could catch one in every 10 games or so. Keeping Montero fresh is the most important thing the Cubs could do for their catching corps next year; the man is getting older and was absolutely abused in Arizona.
Maybe the most important thing to remember with Schwarber: he's NOT that butcher he appeared to be in the NLCS in left field. He can be a 45 defender out there, maybe better. Underrated athleticism. (Matthew Trueblood)
2015-08-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)Please rank the following by real life value: Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, the St. Louis Cardinals.
(Best Fans from Baseball)		Bryant, Cardinals, Russell, Schwarber.

Kris Bryant is still everything. (Christopher Crawford)
2015-07-23 17:00:00 (link to chat)If you were the Cubs who would you target in free agency? Also at the end of the season --barring injury-- who do you see playing 2nd and SS for the Cubs? Thanks.
(Ryan Rust from Edmond, Oklahoma )		If Kyle Schwarber moves to left field as many expect, it doesn't seem like they have a lot of holes. Dexter Fowler is a free agent so they'll need a center fielder. My guess is that the Cubs bring in someone on a one or two-year deal to fill that as opposed to a big time acquisition like Jason Heyward and then bring in an arm to try to help on the back end of the rotation.

If I had to guess, it's going to be Javier Baez and Addison Russell up the middle. Starlin Castro gets traded this winter.

It's fun guessing when I have zero inside information as to what really will happen. (Mike Gianella)
2015-07-23 17:00:00 (link to chat)What do you think of Kyle Schwarber as a catcher long-term?
(Enrique from Nashville)		Earlier this year I was asked that and was less than impressed, but everything I have heard indicates how hard Schwarber is working at this, and the fact that the Cubs would let him catch in the majors right now tells me he could survive at the position even if he isn't great behind the dish. (Mike Gianella)
2015-07-23 17:00:00 (link to chat)Rank the following players in terms of their 2018 fantasy value: C Kyle Schwarber 2B/SS Addison Russell OF Jorge Soler 2B/SS Javier Baez 3B/OF Kris Bryant
(Aaron from Waco, TX)		Bryant, Schwarber, Russell, Soler, Baez. (Mike Gianella)
2015-07-23 17:00:00 (link to chat)What were/are your thoughts on Kyle Schwarber being a catcher long-term 1. Before his current stint as MLB catcher 2. Now that you've seen him behind the plate in the bigs. ?
(Mark from Columbia, MO)		My initial thought was he had a slim chance to stick but even beyond anything I've seen I don't think the Cubs would be rolling him out there if they didn't think he was at least passable. He is better than advertised behind the dish. Will he stick? I don't know, but I like his chances much better now than I did once upon a time. (Mike Gianella)
2015-07-16 20:00:00 (link to chat)Yoan Moncada is the number 1 prospect next season?
(Craig from NJ)		It's going to depend who debuts in September, but right now only prospects not in the Majors I have over Moncada would be Corey Seager, Kyle Schwarber, Joey Gallo and Nomar Mazara. If you want to make the case for Giolito or Urias, I can see that too...That entire Greenville Drive infield is just a plethora of awesomeness right now. (George Bissell)
2015-07-30 13:00:00 (link to chat)I've read a few scouting reports that place Kyle Schwarber's potential hit tool at a 70. How realistic is that number?
(Ron from Texarkana)		A while back Kiley McDaniel pulled MLB numbers to show what the scouting scale would equate to in terms of actual production. Don't have it in front of me, but want to say that a 70 hit tool was roughly a .300 average. If we use that benchmark then I think you could absolutely make the argument that Schwarber's ceiling is a 70 hit tool, right? I mean, it might not be the most realistic outcome, but it's easy to see that it's possible. (Jeff Long)
2015-06-30 19:00:00 (link to chat)Where do you see Javier Baez fitting in the Cubs infield, they seem to be set?
(joncarmela11 from Detroit )		Right now I don't see a good fit at all. It is possible that they bring him up as a utility guy, to do what they wanted Alcantara to do and play a lot of positions and not be a starter. They could also push Bryant to left field and put Baez at third, but if Kyle Schwarber is going to be up in mid-August that wouldn't really fly either. I think they could find a place for Baez (Jonathan Herrera isn't a fixture by any means) but there are no guarantees. (Mike Gianella)
2015-06-30 19:00:00 (link to chat)Can you imagine a world where this is a theoretical thought? "3 way trade, Cubs get Matz, Rockies get Addison Russell, Mets get Tulo and Kris Bryant and Starlin Castro and Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber"
(Brandon from Chicago)		I can imagine it, but that world would have to include a scenario where the Wilpons never got involved financially with Bernie Madoff. It would also require some kind of scenario where Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer don't exist and the Cubs are being run by a caller from a sports talk show because he won some kind of crazy contest. So, yes, I can imagine it, but I have a vivid imagination and am a silly human being. It probably won't happen. (Mike Gianella)
2015-06-08 13:00:00 (link to chat)what separates Kyle Schwarber from Chris Betts? The profiles sound at least a bit similar
(grizz from chi)		Schwarber more polished with a better track-record, and slightly more power. It's not a horrible comp, though. (Christopher Crawford)
2015-06-02 18:00:00 (link to chat)What are a few names that will be moving up into the top 50 prospects at midseason?
(noplexus from Missouri)		I think Nick Gordon, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Williams are going to make strong cases for jumping into the midseason top 50. Reynaldo Lopez should have a case as well, and I have a feeling Reese McGuire is going to make a big jump. (Mauricio Rubio)
2015-03-29 14:00:00 (link to chat)Did you get to see Kyle Schwarber, and how impressive is his bat in real life?
(Ron from Texarkana)		I did not. And it kills me. I've heard his bat is super impressive in real life. One scout remarked that Schawrber should be in the same conversation as Soler, Bryant, Russell, Baez, and not just an afterthought. (Ryan Parker)
2015-02-25 14:00:00 (link to chat)Where do you project Kyle Schwarber to bat, and how good can he really be, in terms of stat line?
(Ron from Texarkana)		I saw Schwarber a few times as an underclassman and then again as a rising junior and it was always clear the guy could really hit. Schwarber already does many things elite major hitters do with his stride, torque and hands. I think he's a middle of the order hitter all the way. If it was a different team I'd say he could hit in the 3rd spot, but that position has a few contenders on the future Cubs! Really, though, guys like Schwarber can hit in any spot in the order - and the farther down... more's the pity. I see him being capable of .280 with 25-30 home runs. Probably coming from a corner outfield spot. (Al Skorupa)
2015-02-04 19:00:00 (link to chat)What kind of numbers will Kyle Schwarber put up once he reaches the bigs? It seems like he has a plus hit and plus power tool but most prospect rankings have him surprisingly low.
(Brandon from Connecticut)		The issue is that he doesn't really have a defensive home yet. He's definitely working hard to become more reliable behind the plate, but it's pretty rough back there right now. It may be a struggle in the corner OF, and 1B is blocked in Chicago. So, it'll be a challenge, but the bat plays, and they'll eventually have to find a home for him. He can rip. (Jordan Gorosh)
2014-12-16 19:00:00 (link to chat)Can Kyle Schwarber stick at C? How good is his bat?
(Sandy from Wisconsin)		If "sticking" is being a guy who can handle 125-ish games behind the plate, then I don't see that. Nick and I have talked a lot about it, and we both feel that's a big stretch for him. It's probably more of a defensive profile that's going to move off the position, but potentially have the versatility on his resume. As for the bat, the peak output can be pretty solid. I don't think we're talking about a potential middle-of-the-order threat, but as someone who can hit 5th or 6th in a deeper lineup sounds achievable. (Top 10s Chat With Chris Mellen)
2015-02-13 19:00:00 (link to chat)If your dynasty league was a 7x7 cat with BB and OPS, which prospects would you target who you think could provide high BB totals with lots of power?
(Greg from Minnesota)		Kris Bryant and Jorge Soler are obvious, which means I'm sure they're gone. Matt Olson is a fun name who doesn't get enough play. Kyle Schwarber is great and I haven't given up on Jon Singleton yet. (Mike Gianella)
2015-01-05 15:00:00 (link to chat)Is Kyle Schwarber a first baseman in the majors, if he makes it?
(Mike from Nashville)		No, he's either a catcher or a left fielder, and the Cubs are going to give him a chance to stick behind the plate. I was more encouraged by his receiving skills than some, but I didn't think he was a butcher back there. Here's the report I wrote this summer?

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/prospects/eyewitness_bat.php?reportid=164

He's not great but there are probably worse defensive catchers in the majors right now. I think he'll be good enough to catch 2-3 days per week, which could be huge. Either way, he's not playing first base with the Cubs. Between Anthony Rizzo and Dan Vogelbach, they'll have to find a different spot for him if he can't catch. (Jeff Moore)
2014-11-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)Is Kyle Schwarber potentially the most complete hitter in the Cubs system?
(berkoffm from Chicago)		I think that's Addison Russell, but I do appreciate the balance to Schwarber's game and his professional approach. (NL Central Top 10s With Nick Faleris)
2014-11-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)How many of your NL Central Top 25 do you expect to make it on the top 100 list when BP publishes it? Average would be around 16 or 17 assuming talent is evenly distributed, right?
(Mike from Texas)		I did say I'd throw a top 25 NL Central Prospects list out there during this chat. With the understanding this is a work in progress (Mellen and I are starting to dig in on the framework for the Top 101), this is my own personal ranking of the prospects covered in our NL Central rankings:

1. SS Addison Russell
2. 3B Kris Bryant
3. RHP Robert Stephenson
4. OF Jorge Soler
5. OF Albert Almora
6. OF Stephen Piscotty
7. LHP Marco Gonzales
8. RHP Tyler Glasnow
9. RHP Jameson Taillon
10. OF Jesse Winker
11. OF/1B Josh Bell
12. RHP Alex Reyes
13. C Kyle Schwarber
14. RHP Michael Lorenzen
15. SS Orlando Arcia
16. OF Tyrone Taylor
17. OF Billy McKinney
18. RHP Pierce Johnson
19. SS Gleyber Torres
20. RHP Jack Flaherty
21. OF Yorman Rodriguez
22. C Reese McGuire
23. RHP Nick Howard
24. RHP Devin Williams
25. LHP Rob Kaminsky

I think all of those guys will be in the discussion for the 101, and expect there to be some shuffling in order of course. Definitely more than the average of 16 or 17. (NL Central Top 10s With Nick Faleris)
2014-12-11 18:00:00 (link to chat)Who do you think becomes the better MLB player? Kyle Schwarber or Alex Jackson?
(Allen from Ridgewood)		Two very different players with much different paths to the big leagues. I think it is pretty reasonable to assert that Jackson has the much higher overall ceiling, but is also at a far greater risk for flaming out. I like Schwarber as a solid everyday player, though I'm not sure at what position. I tend to prefer raw ceiling over proximity when I'm looking at prospects, and as a result, I'm inclined to give the edge to Jackson. (Mark Anderson)
2014-11-04 18:00:00 (link to chat)Realistic projection for Kyle Schwarber at the big league level? .270-.290 AVG, .350-375 OBP, 25-30 homeruns?
(Max from MD)		I have a little reminder on my board in my office at work that asks me and my staff to be a "prudent risk taker." That hints at some of the conservatism present in both my full-time job and in what I do as a scout. Any time you're saying that type of production is a realistic projection for a player, that's a ballsy statement and one with a considerable amount of risk. That said, I have a hard time saying what you're suggesting doesn't have a reasonable chance of coming to fruition. Schwarber's bat is impressive and he might just reach those heights, though I think it will be more of a peak output than a typical output. (Mark Anderson)
2014-10-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)If Kyle Schwarber is able to stick at catcher (seems like a big If), what's a reasonable timeline for him breaking into the majors? How much does Schwarber at catcher improve his value over say a LF? Love the chats, Wethy
(Wethy from Chicago)		In the spectrum of "will Schwarber catch or not," I'm further to the side of "yes he will" than most. He's not a butcher back there, and there are worse defensive catchers in the majors right now. That said, I wouldn't want him back there every day for the sake of my pitching staff. He's not going to earn them a ton of extra strikes. If he can/does catch, it greatly increases his value over LF. It's not even close. It would, however, slow down his development. He'll need at least another full year of catching reps and I don't think the Cubs want to make him wait that long. He's not the same kind of impact hitter as many of the Cubs other hitting prospects, but he's a high floor guy that should be a big league regular even in LF and should be ready soon.

If I had to wager, I'd bet he catches some in the majors, but never on a regular basis. He could be used the way the Indians used Carlos Santana the past few years where he caught once or twice a week and played the field the rest of the time. (Jeff Moore)
2014-09-10 12:00:00 (link to chat)Rank these bats for me, Kyle Schwarber, Michael Conforte, and Bradley Zimmer? Who has the most impact?
(mdotmorris22 from Minnesota)		Schwarber
Conforto
Zimmer

Speaking only bats, I think Schwarber is going to hit the most, but Conforto and Zimmer could still be solid 2nd division types. I'm not sold on Conforto/Zimmer quite yet, I want to see against better competition before jumping to conclusions. (Tucker Blair)
2014-09-03 14:00:00 (link to chat)Hey Jordan, talk around the scouting world seems pretty split about Kyle Schwarber sticking at catcher. Theo is insistent that they want to give him a chance. Where do you think his spot on the field will be, assuming he cracks the Majors?
(Dan from Bloomington)		Of course, the Cubs want to give him every shot to stick there. It's why they drafted him in the top 5. Yet, the absolute ceiling is a 45 defender, and I'm not sure he gets there. Not very fluid, and the throwing is average at best. The bat is so far ahead of the defense at this point, that I'm not sure he gets the developmental time to perfect catching. In fact, he may be ready to hit in the majors as early as July of next season. He should get some backup reps, but I think that ultimately, in order to save his knees and get the bat in the lineup, he plays a lot of LF. (Jordan Gorosh)
2014-07-22 15:00:00 (link to chat)I know Kyle Schwarber was only in Kane County for a minute, but did you get a chance to see him live? If so, whatcha think?
(Scott from Lincolnshire)		Limited look, but I saw him in college a bit as well. Dude can hit. Not a catcher. They can try, but I don't think it works out. Can fake it in LF, I mean, Mark Trumbo is playing LF.

Cubs got an impact bat and quite a few million dollar arms. Impressive draft. (Jordan Gorosh)


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Advanced Catching Metrics

Year lvl CSAA Framing Runs Blocking Chances EPAA Blocking Runs SB Attempts SRAA TRAA Throwing Runs FRAA Adj. FRAA
2014 afx .000 0.0 51 .001 0.0 3 -.015 .002 0.0 0.0 -0.1
2014 afa .000 0.0 474 .001 -0.2 15 .030 .006 -0.3 -0.5 1.3
2015 aaa .005 0.7 587 .001 -0.1 10 .007 .001 0.0 0.2 0.1
2015 aax .013 5.5 1524 .002 -1.1 55 .035 .014 -1.2 2.4 3.7
2015 mlb -.002 -0.2 680 .002 -0.3 16 .029 .005 -0.2 -1.2 -4.4
2017 mlb .000 0.0 0 .000 0.0 0 .000 -.001 0.0 0.0 2.7
2019 mlb .000 0.0 2 -.009 0.0 0 .000 .000 0.0 0.0 -0.5

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC

 

PITCHf/x Hitter Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC