Chicago Cubs: Five reasons Kyle Schwarber will win the NL MVP

Chicago Cubs: The big slugger looks to take the next step in 2019

Schwarber has been a golden boy of sorts for Cubs’ management since being drafted in 2014. Despite media and fan speculation for years about the need to trade Schwarber to the American League because he was only ever going to be a DH, the one-time-catcher-turned outfielder has supposedly been as untouchable as a player can be in trade talks with other teams.

Schwarber is only 26, he’s coming into his prime, and he’s got all the tools to be a great middle-of-the-order hitter in the Major Leagues. While it seems like Schwarber has been around for a while, he still has yet to record more than 510 plate appearances in any single season. In fact, Schwarber has only 1274 career plate appearances and 1086 career at-bats, basically two seasons’ worth. Through those 1086 career at-bats, Schwarber has 72 home runs, 163 RBI, and 183 runs thanks to his nearly 14% career walk rate.

For comparison, Anthony Rizzo‘s first three seasons yielded a similar 1211 PA/1071 AB. Except, Mr. Consistency only put up 39 HR, 137 RBI, 124 runs, and a walk rate under 11%. Detractors would point out that Rizzo was 24 after those numbers and Kyle Schwarber is already 26, but Schwarber missed the entire 2016 season after he tore up his knee in April of that year. So, while he may be two years older, there’s only a year difference in development based on those numbers. If Schwarber continues to trend anything like his fellow left-handed-hitting teammate, he will be a perennial MVP candidate, starting this season.