NEWSLETTER
It’s really incredible that Kyle Schwarber was drafted just one year ago.
It’s even more incredible that, when he was drafted, most pundits outside the organization thought the Cubs had reached.
Now, here we are, so soon after the Cubs “reached,” they’re adding a supremely intriguing bat in the middle of a competitive season.
That’s perhaps the most exciting part of this temporary Kyle Schwarber call up for me. Yes, I’m excited to see another top prospect, and I’m interested to see if he gets even an inning behind the plate. But I’m most excited that, in a season when the Cubs could really use an extra bat right now to DH, they’ve got one ready and waiting that they can just pluck, almost from the ether, and plop right into the lineup.
How many teams right now have that ability?
Even after losing Jorge Soler and Javier Baez to injury (were they both not injured, I’m not sure we’re having this conversation just yet), the Cubs have a guy who can step in and potentially be an impact bat for a week in June. No trade required. No significant roster maneuvering, either. Just, hey, man, we could use your bat a bit, can you help us out?
That’s, of course, the primary difference here between the Schwarber call up and the Kris Bryant patience last year. Every player is different, and I’ll leave open the possibility that there’s something special in the player development plan for each guy that would have precluded this kind of taste-of-the-bigs last year for Bryant (maybe something about Schwarber getting a chance to work with the big league catchers and pitchers for a week, since that’s so crucial to his future). But I think the real difference we’re seeing is the big league team, itself. Last year, Bryant coming up for a random week to DH wouldn’t have meant much to the Cubs’ chances of winning in 2014. Bryant’s crazy good, but he’s not that good. No one is.
The Cubs also didn’t have consecutive series in AL parks at any point last year like they do this week. This is a unique opportunity and confluence of events that implores for Schwarber to come up, with all appropriate apologies to Bryant. The situation is simply very, very different.
All that said, let’s not go around expecting Schwarber to be the difference-maker in every game in which he appears. For one thing, he’s joining a team with a few other quality players with whom you might be familiar. For another thing, even as polished as his approach is, he’s still a rookie facing big league pitching – indeed, facing any pitching above AA – for the first time in his career. A little over a year ago, he was beating up on amateurs. We’ll need to keep expectations in check.
Do I think he can be better than the Cubs’ other present DH options? I do. Might he not be better in a tiny sample? Sure. That’s just baseball. Is it worth the chance because the downside risk of Schwarber struggling is so small? Yup.
When Schwarber is done with his week’s coffee, he’ll head to AAA Iowa – a promotion by way of Chicago – to continue his work behind the plate. From there, as we’ve discussed before, there’s a good chance he could be back for the stretch run if the bat looks like it can contribute. Schwarber will already be on the 40-man roster, will already be likely to contribute in 2016 (though perhaps not right out of the gate), and there might once again be the perfect confluence of reasons to bring him back up.
The Cubs are very serious about trying to win in 2015.
* * *
Other various things about the Schwarber promotion …
Oh by the way, we have another launch authorized! pic.twitter.com/xgRFkCLnNI
— Randall J. Sanders (@RandallJSanders) June 16, 2015
@BleacherNation Schwarber has left the yard before at Target Field. https://t.co/dW2cYcNCCT
— Steve Beyl (@sbeyl01) June 16, 2015
@BleacherNation More than once in fact. This time to left. https://t.co/q4iaoc6h6V
— Steve Beyl (@sbeyl01) June 16, 2015
Seems like a good time to relive our fun 2012 @kschwarb12 & @DoctorChill6 @HoosierBaseball feature. #bashbrothers http://t.co/ctslRbhyye
— Indiana On BTN (@IndianaOnBTN) June 16, 2015
So, who wants to guess on Schwarber's numbers from this short stint? 20 PAs? I say: 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 1B, 2 BB, 6 K.
Or maybe just 20 HRs.
— Brett Taylor (@BleacherNation) June 16, 2015
@BleacherNation 20? Pfft. Try 100.
— TJAgra (@StillWaiting4aW) June 16, 2015
https://twitter.com/adamdm4/status/610631966266777600
https://twitter.com/_ericlark/status/610632007924760577
@BleacherNation and wins ROY while still in Iowa
— damn the Mike idiot (@officialdervack) June 16, 2015
@BleacherNation 21-20 with 37 homers. Approximately.
— Maddi S (@MaddiSraj) June 16, 2015
@BleacherNation 21PA's, 22 HR's. Don't ask how.
— Jason (@jchesmore) June 16, 2015
@BleacherNation too bad he isn't a KC Royal. He'd be in the allstar game by tomorrow
— Tim Naleway (@Wrigleyville933) June 16, 2015
@BleacherNation don't forget 10 SBs, right?
— Justin Mills (@jtommills) June 16, 2015
@mr_spilled_ink @BleacherNation Be realistic. After about 10 HRs, he'll get IBBs.
— Nolan Void (@HitlerPuncher) June 16, 2015
