Kyle Schwarber in midseason form

[Parade_Rain]

Raw power has nothing to do with bat speed.

Schwarber may have the most raw power of any prospect in the class, showing plus-plus power to right field thanks to tremendous lower body strength and strong wrists. He transfers his weight well and has the type of raw power that could produce 30-plus homer seasons if he's able to play every day. He shows good feel at the plate, and a willingness to work pitches and get on base via walk, but doesn't have elite bat speed and there's a lot of swing-and-miss in his bat as well.

http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2014/06/cubs-take-kyle-schwarber/

So one can have power, but not have velocity on the ball? The comments in the article are contradictory.

 

[brett05]

PR, so are there that many with elite bat speed?

 

[Parade_Rain]

PR, so are there that many with elite bat speed?

What's your definition of elite?

 

[Raskolnikov]

I meant to post this.
klof: At this point would the Cubs prefer to sign Fowler on a cheap one year deal as a 4th OF or get the compensation pick when another team signs him? How low would Fowler’s asking price have to come down for this to make sense for the Cubs?


Dave Cameron: I’m going to write about Fowler this afternoon, but my guess is the Cubs prefer the pick.






The Sophomores: Kris Bryant has an unsustainable BABIP. Sano and Schwarber have their warts. Could Franco be the best from that rookie class?

Dave Cameron: No. Anything is possible, of course, but there’s zero reason to take Franco over Bryant.






Ben: Who is the better hitter: Bryant or Schwarber?

Dave Cameron: Bryant, by a lot.

I think we should be in win now mode and Fowler might be the best thing for the team. Looks like they aren't going to get a pick, take the OBP and quality depth. It also would make Heyward happy and give him more time in RF.

 

[SilenceS]

I think we should be in win now mode and Fowler might be the best thing for the team. Looks like they aren't going to get a pick, take the OBP and quality depth. It also would make Heyward happy and give him more time in RF.

Seems the Cubs value the pick more. Also, just read on Cubs.com that Baez is taking OF reps. He hinted that there are plans to have him in some form of rotation out there as well. This team is extremely versatile. I wouldn't get use to an everyday lineup. I think Maddon is going to play with it a ton.

 

[Diehardfan]

Seems the Cubs value the pick more. Also, just read on Cubs.com that Baez is taking OF reps. He hinted that there are plans to have him in some form of rotation out there as well. This team is extremely versatile. I wouldn't get use to an everyday lineup. I think Maddon is going to play with it a ton.

Wouldn't surprise me to see 10 or 11 position players getting into games regularly...just so many guys that can play so many positions make for a manager's dream. This team is built for the National League.

 

[85Bears]

I love the fact that we're talking about whether Schwarber is awesome vs. mega-awesome.

Yeah, 2016 is all on paper so far, but **** I can't wait for the season to start...

 

[czman]

I am going to admit right off the bat, that of the major sports I know the least about baseball mechanics; especially pitching, I cannot always see a hole in a swing that others say they can see.

From my untrained I eye I think Schwarber can be the best hitter on the Cubs. I don't know what his bat speed is. I don't have velocity calibrated vision. What I do know is he has a short compact swing that generates a shit ton of power. His time from start of swing till he gets the bat in the zone is about as fast as you see in baseball. A lot of that is that he has a short wind up. He has so much power he does not need a long swing. On top of that he keeps the bat in the zone a long time. He has great power to opposite fields because of it.

I personally think, again I am not a scout and I don't play one on the internet, that time to bat in the zone and duration of time the bat is in the zone are two of the most important things. Bat speed to me is overrated. You can have elite bat speed and still take a long time to get the bat in the zone because of a long swing and have the bat in the zone a very short time. That will lead to way more SOs and bat contact rate.

I honestly think if Schwarber can put it all together he has a chance to have an MVP type offensive season one year. I am talking 40 HRs, over 300 BA and under 100 SO. I think Schwarber has a better upside at the player than Bryant. Bryant has a little to much upper cut for my liking. My biggest worry with Schwarber is defense. How will his body hold up in the OF long term. Will his legs hold up? How brutal will be out there?

I really think he has a chance to player who is recognized around the league with a top 10.

 

[SilenceS]

I am going to admit right off the bat, that of the major sports I know the least about baseball mechanics; especially pitching, I cannot always see a hole in a swing that others say they can see.

From my untrained I eye I think Schwarber can be the best hitter on the Cubs. I don't know what his bat speed is. I don't have velocity calibrated vision. What I do know is he has a short compact swing that generates a shit ton of power. His time from start of swing till he gets the bat in the zone is about as fast as you see in baseball. A lot of that is that he has a short wind up. He has so much power he does not need a long swing. On top of that he keeps the bat in the zone a long time. He has great power to opposite fields because of it.

I personally think, again I am not a scout and I don't play one on the internet, that time to bat in the zone and duration of time the bat is in the zone are two of the most important things. Bat speed to me is overrated. You can have elite bat speed and still take a long time to get the bat in the zone because of a long swing and have the bat in the zone a very short time. That will lead to way more SOs and bat contact rate.

I honestly think if Schwarber can put it all together he has a chance to have an MVP type offensive season one year. I am talking 40 HRs, over 300 BA and under 100 SO. I think Schwarber has a better upside at the player than Bryant. Bryant has a little to much upper cut for my liking. My biggest worry with Schwarber is defense. How will his body hold up in the OF long term. Will his legs hold up? How brutal will be out there?

I really think he has a chance to player who is recognized around the league with a top 10.

What?

 

[brett05]

What's your definition of elite?

hmm....good question...This may not be the best answer, but it's the truthful one. I am not sure. I really think my line of "rebuttal" questions is really to help me form an opinion since I don't feel I have a strong stance on it.

 

[brett05]

Seems the Cubs value the pick more. Also, just read on Cubs.com that Baez is taking OF reps. He hinted that there are plans to have him in some form of rotation out there as well. This team is extremely versatile. I wouldn't get use to an everyday lineup. I think Maddon is going to play with it a ton.

Wouldn't surprise me to see 10 or 11 position players getting into games regularly...just so many guys that can play so many positions make for a manager's dream. This team is built for the National League.

The flexibility is nice, but not having a consistent day in and day out lineup IMO is not going to help the team. Players perform their best when they are in routines. It did seem to work for Joe last season but I am not convinced that it makes it correct.

 

[TC in Mississippi]

The flexibility is nice, but not having a consistent day in and day out lineup IMO is not going to help the team. Players perform their best when they are in routines. It did seem to work for Joe last season but I am not convinced that it makes it correct.

I don't know that it works with every team but Maddon has been very successful with ever shifting lineups going back to his days with the Rays. With the Red Sox being my #2 team I saw the Rays quite a bit and was fascinated by Maddon and his daily lineup shifts. In TB he did it, at least partly, out of necessity because with that budget it didn't afford him the best fitting parts and although not budget related he was in a similar situation last year with the Cubs. The amount of different lineups Maddon has put out almost every year of his managerial career is staggering and he has a .525 winning percentage to show for it.

I think part of the reason for Maddon's success with this approach is that he has consistently worked with young players not that far removed from their high school days where they were often asked to play different positions. Kris Bryant was delighted to be asked to play CF last year and lobbied Maddon for more chances there. Other players commented that it kept them sharp. As some of these guys move into their prime and are looking for their first big payday they might like it less but I don't think they're there yet. I think you'll see quite a bit more of the shifting lineups again this year and I expect them to be successful.

 

[brett05]

No doubt it has worked in the past more times than not for Joe.

 

[Parade_Rain]

hmm....good question...This may not be the best answer, but it's the truthful one. I am not sure. I really think my line of "rebuttal" questions is really to help me form an opinion since I don't feel I have a strong stance on it.

I'm going to help you with an answer that muddies the water more and there are two things to think about. Schwarber is quick to the ball. He probably doesn't have as much ball exit speed as some other players like Stanton, but the trajectory of his hits provides more carry than many other players.

90 mph exit speed equals 300 ft, but there are a lot of other variables, which is why there was a HR hit with 80 mph exit speed, IIRC. Remember that Baez had to tone his swing down and he had the thought of a 400 ft HR is still a HR compared to his 450 ft HR.

 

[brett05]

I'm going to help you with an answer that muddies the water more and there are two things to think about. Schwarber is quick to the ball. He probably doesn't have as much ball exit speed as some other players like Stanton, but the trajectory of his hits provides more carry than many other players.

90 mph exit speed equals 300 ft, but there are a lot of other variables, which is why there was a HR hit with 80 mph exit speed, IIRC. Remember that Baez had to tone his swing down and he had the thought of a 400 ft HR is still a HR compared to his 450 ft HR.

So mathematically I get it. Gravity is always at play and is a constant. The better trajectory the farther the ball will travel before hitting the surface. I can see this.

What did you think of czman's comments? That looked to be pretty solid but that could be more about elite batting than elite speed, right?

 

[Diehardfan]

The flexibility is nice, but not having a consistent day in and day out lineup IMO is not going to help the team. Players perform their best when they are in routines. It did seem to work for Joe last season but I am not convinced that it makes it correct.

I have to disagree. Getting everyone involved daily builds team chemistry especially on a winning team....makes everyone feel like a working part in the machine. Sitting on the bench daily with your lone job being a cheerleader....sucks. The trouble is that on most teams, the talent level going from starter to bench player is too large and it becomes hard for the manager to run a .220 hitter with a good glove out there while putting a run producing .290 guy on the bench. That might not be a problem with this Cub team.

 

[DanTown]

The flexibility is nice, but not having a consistent day in and day out lineup IMO is not going to help the team. Players perform their best when they are in routines. It did seem to work for Joe last season but I am not convinced that it makes it correct.

I think the point is that the way Maddon manages, everyone knows what the deal is. Some days you're batting #2 and playing LF, somedays it's batting fifth and C, some days it's a day off. When it usually doesn't work, it's because the manager is changing up routine just to make a change instead of actually trying to do something positive. In a lot of cases, it's a losing team trying to "shake things up" where as Maddon manages the short and long term effects that his decisions have. I think the hard part is the Cubs have 10 guys who are capable of being 600 PA players and only eight lineup spots so it does get tough but that's the other thing: it's one thing when Addison Russell sits a day to give Baez a day in the field because Baez is a more than capable player; it's another when Russell sits to give Jonathan Herrera a day in the field.

I think the other thing that helps with the lineup juggling is that when a player struggles and he's moved to a different spot or given a day off, it's not meant to be a punishment for not performing but it's more or less the plan and the player doesn't have to worry about the manager moving him or benching him.

 

[czman]

What?

What don't you understand? You may not agree, and that is fine. I fully admit, I may be wrong. I just think Schwarber has the most upside at the plate and has the potential to have one great season. Not saying he can do it year in year out. I would not surprise me though if he had that monster season.

I am not a scout, but there are 3 things I want to see in a swing. Quick to zone. Long time in the zone. As flat as possible. I think Schwarber does those 3 things better than anyone on the Cubs. I very well might be wrong with what is most important in a swing. Not a scout. Just my opinion.

 

[czman]

Brett and PR

mass increases proportionate to velocity. That faster a bat moves the more mass it has the more force it can apply to the ball. However, force does not need to come from velocity. Therefore, bat speed can generate mass that translates to force on a ball. Or.........Strength can generate force on a ball. One is not greater than the other.

In either case the result is momentum of a ball away from a bat. That is what determines distance: trajectory, momentum, drag, gravity and anything else that can decelerate a ball like the ground, a wall or a glove. We now look at momentum in exist velocity.

I don't think bat speed is the end all and it is not the only factor in determining the exist velocity of a ball.

 

[brett05]

I have to disagree. Getting everyone involved daily builds team chemistry especially on a winning team....makes everyone feel like a working part in the machine. Sitting on the bench daily with your lone job being a cheerleader....sucks. The trouble is that on most teams, the talent level going from starter to bench player is too large and it becomes hard for the manager to run a .220 hitter with a good glove out there while putting a run producing .290 guy on the bench. That might not be a problem with this Cub team.

I don't see benefiting a guy that isn't good enough to be a regular to get a smidge of production out of him to outweigh hurting a guy that is producing quite nicely for the team regularly. Not worth the risk imo.