Chicago Cubs: Which position should Kyle Schwarber play in 2016?

There are so many questions that will be answered throughout the off-season leading up to Cactus League play in March. Which reminds me, does anyone have access to a time machine so we could all just jump five months ahead?

Today, we’ll be trying to figure out an answer regarding a powerful rookie, Kyle Schwarber, who launched a towering fly ball that we figured either disintegrated or just flat out landed on the moon during the fourth game of the NLDS.

Just moments later, a fan posted a picture of the home run ball that landed on top of the Budweiser video board in right field. In case you missed it, Chicago decided to encase it with fiberglass and assign its own security guard.

Now back to the topic at hand. Schwarber was a huge piece of Chicago’s postseason run when he debuted just a few days before Father’s Day earlier on in the year.

In 69 games with the big league roster this season, Schwarber slugged 16 homers, 43 RBI while slashing an impressive .246/.355/.487 before tearing up opposing pitcher’s over the last couple of weeks.

While fans were going nuts after every ball he hit out of the yard, his defense in left field had fans scratching their heads. Remember, he missed a couple games when making a diving attempt on a ball in the outfield which resulted in him suffering a rib injury.

He’s not your typical outfielder, but he’s had moments that made us think that he’s never played a day behind the plate. When breaking down his fielding stats, it shows that he is, in fact, a better defender when he’s not catching.

The 22-year-old powerhouse a combined 38 starts in left and right field, recording 45 putouts, one assist, and only one error between the two positions. A lot different compared to when he’s wearing extra gear.

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When he’s managing the plate, Kyle’s only managed to field just .967 which is lower than his percentage in the outfield. He’s made 15 starts in 21 appearances with 110 putouts, seven assists, one double play, two passed balls, and four errors.

Base runners have only been caught by him three times while 14 have been successful against him. And this is where veteran catcher David Ross enters the picture.

Despite Ross not being much of an offensive threat, he’s provided Jon Lester and a few other starts with some solid defense.

An idea that co-editor Nicholas Blazek had was to have both Miguel Montero and Ross personally work with him and come up with an assessment on whether or not he should continue on as a catcher.

I completely agree with this idea.

Leaving it up to the veterans to report to Theo Epstein and Joe Maddon could allow them to focus on other things. Not saying that Schwarber isn’t important, but surely, he’ll be in good hands with Miggy and Ross.

And for all you Cleveland Indians fans out there hoping to acquire him. No.

Next: Cubs Grades: Dexter Fowler adds depth to team

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