Ever since Theo Epstein took the podium the Wednesday following the Cubs’ Wild Card game loss to Colorado, there’s been speculation about which players he had in mind when saying the club needed to “stop evaluating this in terms of talent and start evaluating in terms of production.” Even before those comments, I posited that […]
Tag: Kyle Schwarber
Game 53 Recap: Cubs 7, Mets 4
What You Need To Know: Tyler Chatwood didn’t immolate. Zack Wheeler was good. But he wasn’t nine innings good. And when you don’t throw nine innings as a Met, you’re basically asking the local neighborhood arsonist to watch your kids. Wheeler opened the door a crack, the Cubs kicked it open while the Mets’ pen got […]
Iowa Is The Best Place For Ian Happ Right Now
Ian Happ is going to play an important role for the Chicago Cubs this season, but that time is not now. The start to the 2018 season has not been what the Cubs wanted or expected out of their switch-hitting infielder/outfielder, but that’s the hand the team and Happ have been dealt. Happ’s issues at […]
Why Is The Outside World So Down On Kyle Schwarber?
Maybe it was the Mets series in 2015. Maybe it was a wildly down half year that resulted in a demotion to Triple-A in 2017. Maybe it was a misplay and then a broken shoe over the weekend in St. Louis. Regardless of what caused it, there isn’t a ton of optimism to go around […]
Game 22 Recap: Cubs 1, Brewers 0
Was it a close game? Yes. Was it a thriller? No. But for a second night in a row the Cubs learned the power of the solo home run. Just one solo home run in the fifth inning from Kyle Schwarber was needed to defeat the NL Central leaders. What You Need to Know: After […]
Is There a New Ceiling for Kyle Schwarber?
Since he was drafted in 2014 out of Indiana, and subsequently called up in 2015, Kyle Schwarber has always represented something of a polarizing player for the Chicago Cubs. Is he a catcher or is he a DH? Can he play the outfield at an average level? Is he all power at the plate? There […]
Does Kyle Schwarber’s Improved Fitness Mean Improved Defense?
Kyle Schwarber has been a popular topic during Cubs’ spring camp to date, primarily due to his astounding transformation from a burly outfielder/hopeful catcher to a slim & sleek only-outfielder. Coming off of the year that he had, in which he slugged 30 homers but ran into some unbelievably bad luck (.214 BABIP), Schwarber’s production […]
Who Is Best Suited To Set The Cubs’ Table In 2018?
As we sit in the doldrums of winter, awaiting any sort of news surrounding potential additions to the North Side of Chicago, there’s still plenty to be discussed surrounding the team as currently constructed. And with some of the buzz around such hypothetical additions relating to the number one spot in the batting order, the […]
2017 Player Profile: Kyle Schwarber
Position: LF 2017 Statistics: AVG OBP SLG HR TAv wRC+ FRAA WARP .211 .315 .467 30 .266 102 2.8 1.7 Year in Review: Well. Where do we begin? There may not have been a more talked-about player on the Chicago Cubs roster in 2017 than Kyle Schwarber, and much of it really wasn’t for the […]
Kyle Schwarber Is Now As Dangerous As Any Cubs Hitter
Kyle Schwarber is hitting barely .200. He’s a less-than-competent fielder. He strikes out over 30 percent of the time. And yet, as the Cubs prime themselves for a run to October, there are few hitters that are to be feared within their lineup more than the burly left fielder. Those who have not followed the Cubs […]