Javier Baez might have gotten things started for the Cubs today with a hustle-double in the first (what else is new?), but Kyle Schwarber put the Cubs on the board with his fifth homer of the year.
And boy did it get out in a hurry:
Gone faster than you can read this caption. pic.twitter.com/sm6dL5njZ1
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 24, 2018
My word that got out fast. Schwarber barely even moved by the time it was gone, and for good reason: according to Statcast, that ball left Schwarber’s bat at 117.1 MPPH, which ranks as the fifth hardest hit homer of the year!
HR Exit Velocity Leaderboard
- Giancarlo Stanton: 117.9 MPH
- Hanley Ramirez: 117.5 MPH
- Giancarlo Stanton: 117.4 MPH
- Marcell Ozuna: 117.2 MPH
- Kyle Schwarber: 117.1 MPH
Moreover, per Statcast, it’s the hardest hit ball by ANY Cub since 2015, when they started tracking these things.
That’s Schwarber’s fifth home run this season, and it brought his slash line up to an excellent .305/.423/.610 (182 wRC+). That ranks 11th best in baseball – one spot ahead of Kris Bryant. Baez’s start is overshadowing everyone else, but Schwarber is raking.
UPDATE: He did it again.
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