NEWSLETTER
Although his mammoth two-run homer in the second inning will get more of the attention, it was Kyle Schwarber’s double later in the game that really caught my eye.
Firstly, it was just such a bullet:
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Not only did Schwarber rocket that thing at over 115 mph, but he also rocketed his body around first base. That 8.23 seconds from home to second base was the fastest of his career – he’s now Speedy Schwarber! – as he was eyeing third base.
There isn’t a whole lot of scouting data out there on home-to-second speeds, unfortunately, but based on home-to-first times (2016 average for a lefty was 4.58 seconds) and home-to-third times (average was 12.01 seconds), it kinda seems like 8.23 seconds home-to-second would be just a bit better than league average. Maybe that doesn’t sound impressive, but, hey, a Kyle Schwarber with league average or better speed on the bases? That’s a very good thing when you consider where he’s coming from, both in terms of his build and previous size, but also his major knee injury.
Maybe those stolen bases in Spring Training won’t just be an anomaly …
