Chicago Cubs: Looking at the team’s heroes in the NLDS

October 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber (12) reacts after he hits a solo home run in the seventh inning against St. Louis Cardinals in game four of the NLDS at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Schwarber

The sheer dominance of the Cubs’ rookie was on full display when he clubbed a mammoth home run Tuesday night that wound up on top of the massive right-field video board, where it will remain for the rest of the postseason under a plexiglass case.

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Despite 42,000-plus fans being in the Friendly Confines for the Cubs’ Game 4 win, the team’s rookies, including Schwarber, seemed unfazed by the pressure. After falling behind 2-0 early on a first-inning Stephen Piscotty homer, the offense quickly got back to work – as they did all series-long.

In the Division Series, Schwarber posted an OPS near 1.700 – comprised of a .500/.583/1.100 slash-line. That’s not to mention his two home runs and three runs scored, nor the fact that he played in both the outfield and behind the dish in the series.

His clutch home run in the NL Wild Card Game was a major reason why the Cubs reached the next round of postseason play. But if you thought that was a flash-in-the-pan for the 22-year-old slugger, you thought wrong.

Next: At long last, the taste of champagne