Kyle Schwarber’s Future Bright Despite Injury
By Jordan Maly
One of the great stories from 2015 in baseball was the surge to stardom for catcher/outfielder Kyle Schwarber, but after injury where does he go from here? The Chicago Cubs seek their first World Series appearance since 1945 and try to snap one of the longest championship droughts in professional sports without their big time slugger…
If you were to ask me about Kyle Schwarber before the 2014 Major League Baseball draft, I would tell you simply “This dude can rake”. In the three season Schwarber played for the Indiana Hoosiers, his offensive power numbers were staggering. Schwarber coming off his rookie season with impressive power numbers and showing his versatility by making the switch from behind the plate to left field. It’s hard to say how we thought Schwarber was going to do in a full, healthy season with the club.
The red hot Chicago Cubs have proven that a hungry group of youngsters can quickly be built into
one of the best teams in baseball. Schwarber was one of the most important parts of the 2015 campaign, the offensive part of his game being the most crucial. Just a few games into the 2016 season, Kyle Schwarber suffered a torn ACL and LCL in his knee which put him on the shelf for the duration of the season. Now that we are in August, it seems the Chicago Cubs roster has filled in nicely with replacements. The question remains, where does that leave Kyle Schwarber next season?
Some fans may worry that the devastating injury to the ACL can dramatically change the way a player performs, especially for a player whose primary position is catcher. When Kyle Schwarber returns from injury what type of impact is it going to have on his offensive power numbers? The constant twisting, jerking motions used to complete his swing might leave lingering problems. The constant soreness, inflammation, and fatigue could hold him out from being a regular every day player for the first portion of his career.
One player that recently suffered the same damage to their ACL is catcher Yasmani Grandal of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Grandal was taken 12th overall by the Cincinnati Reds back in the summer of 2010. He was taken with the hopes of having the same type of explosive offensive numbers as Schwarber has with the Chicago Cubs. Grandal suffered the injury back in the middle of the 2013 season with the San Diego Padres where he missed the remainder of the season to repair damage in the ACL and MCL. Within the next two years, Grandal was back on the field playing in 128 games in 2014 and 115 games in 2015. In 2015, he was also selected to the National League All-Star game. While the comparison of players strictly from the position stand point seems parallel,
Schwarber has offensive upside that Grandal had not reached. It becomes promising that other young stars have suffered similar type of injuries that Schwarber has encountered and have returned to the field and continued to play every day.
Another enormous young star to have similar knee problems in the recent past includes third baseman Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles. Machado was taken in the same draft in 2010 as Yasmani Grandal with the 3rd pick by the Orioles. Manny Machado suffered similar injuries at the same age as Schwarber has. Machado and Schwarber both have tremendous offensive power and even after two surgeries for Machado in 2013 and 2014 his numbers are impressive. The last two season since coming off injury to his knee, Machado has posted a .296/.361/.527 with 61 home runs and 155 runs batted in. These are the type of numbers that Kyle Schwarber fans are hoping to see in his return in 2017. While there is
little question about Kyle Schwarber’s offensive production moving forward the difficult part comes that he plays in the National League. Without the designated hitter, it forces Schwarber to play the field or take an off day completely where guys who might need a day off from the field can still help their team offensively.
As Indiana Hoosiers fans, we all are hopefully that this is only a minor set back in a bright future for one of the best players to come out of the Indiana Men’s Baseball program ever. The longevity of Schwarber’s career might hinder on his ability to commit to playing the outfield or even switching leagues in order to get the most out of his game. While it is uncertain if he will be able to catch on a regular basis again one thing remains the same, he will be hitting plenty of home runs at the Friendly Confines next season sandwiched in between an already stacked Cubs lineup.