Chicago Cubs: Kyle Schwarber transformed his body – and also his game

From injury to World Series hero

In 2016, Schwarber was already on his way to Chicago mythology. He came back from a serious knee injury suffered in the third game of the season. Schwarber-sighting became local pastime for newscasters following him around the country reporting on his progress with physical therapy.

The Cubs wrapped up their 2016 season and headed into the postseason. Schwarber emerged from the shadows healed, trained and ready to attain folk hero status. He went 7-for-17 with three walks, culminating in a .971 OPS.

The 2017 move to Triple-A Iowa seemed to have a huge effect on his outlook.  He seemed to want more out of the game. Schwarber came out of the experience thinking, I’m a baseball player and I want to be the best at it. This meant making drastic changes and coming to the realization that he had to change his lifestyle – permanently.

"“Everyone is caught up in the weight-loss thing,” Schwarber told Jesse Rogers of ESPN. “I’m not. I’m training my body for 162 games times nine innings or maybe more. I want to be an MVP. I want to be a Gold Glover. I want to set my standards really high.”"