Chicago Cubs: Is the front office too high on Kyle Schwarber?

Chicago Cubs: Struggling with the batting average

Out of the gates in March and April, he warranted such excitement, slashing .273/.385/.584 with seven long-balls. But since that point, he is yet to hit .240 in a single calendar month. Since the All-Star Break, he’s hit a wall, batting just .218 – again leaving us scratching our heads.

He’s a young guy. We know that. Technically, this is just his second full big league season. But for a guy who has a tremendous knowledge of hitting and plus tools, he’s not doing what the Cubs thought (and likely still think) he can do.

Regardless, you’d be hard-pressed to find a player Theo Epstein or Jed Hoyer are higher on.

"“It’s baseball, so you never know,” Epstein said this spring. “I just know we really believe in the person, and we really believe in the hitter. Yes, I’ve been wrong. But I’ll bet on this guy.”"

Epstein puts a lot of stock in the intangibles of the individual. In other words, a hard-working, driven guy like Schwarber has a longer leash than he might in other organizations. But has he really warranted his seemingly ‘untouchable’ label we hear about every year?

It’s hard to say. But you can’t expect that label to stick if he keeps flirting with the Mendoza Line every month. I love the power and on-base potential. He’s improved leaps and bounds in the outfield, as well. However, the simple truth is this: he is not an MVP candidate. He could be someday, but at a point, you have believe what you see, not what you think.