Three years ago, the Chicago Cubs caught a glimpse of who Kyle Schwarber could be as a player. Now, the team could finally see the beast unleashed.
Coming into the 2015 regular season, Schwarber ranked as the Chicago Cubs number four overall prospect, behind Jorge Soler, Addison Russell and Kris Bryant. After spending a part of the regular season between Double-A and Triple-A, Schwarber made his major league debut.
That season Schwarber appeared in 69 games, finishing with a .246/.355/.487 slash line, 16 home runs and 43 RBI. Impressive, considering he registered just 273 total plate appearances. Even more impressive was his .364 wOBA, 131 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. Everything was looking up until it wasn’t.
Fresh off his above-average first taste of the show, Schwarber tore his ACL and LCL just two games into the season after a collision with former Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler. It was a significant blow for a player looking to build on the production the year prior.
Still, Schwarber recovered valiantly, forcing his way onto the World Series roster, making a significant splash and helping the Cubs to a World Series championship.