Chicago Cubs: Kyle Schwarber has the tools to be the leadoff man

With one of the best walk rates in the NL, the Chicago Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber would be a great fit in the leadoff spot, and could ultimately help him get his bat going.

Ever since the departure of Dexter Fowler after the 2016 season, the Chicago Cubs haven’t had a mainstay in the lead-off spot. It’s turned into a lead-off-man-by-committee, with even  Anthony Rizzo getting the opportunity.

It seems as if Joe Maddon has become content with this approach, as it goes along with his creative approach to managing, but having some certainty in that particular part of the lineup would be nice. The new player that should get a shot to bat lead-off is Kyle Schwarber. He has the plate discipline to be effective in this role, and it could most certainly help his bat find that spark it’s been missing so far this season.

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It’s no question Schwarber has struggled offensively so far this year, batting just .229 with four home runs. I believe Schwarber has placed a lot of his focus on becoming a great left fielder, and it’s affected his performance on offense, but that’s something for another day. Schwarber is a perfect candidate for the lead-off spot and here’s why.

With a walk-rate that is good for 11th in the National League and second on the Cubs, Schwarber has the plate discipline to find ways to get on base. Along with the impressive walk rate, Schwarber has an on-base percentage of .346, good for sixth on the team and top-40 in the National League. Not eye-popping, but we would see that number go up a lot by placing him in the lead-off role.

The only Cub ahead of Schwarber in terms of walk-rate is Kris Bryant, someone in the midst of a massive power surge, and someone who you want base-runners on for when they come to the plate. Based on this statistic alone, Schwarber is qualified to get a shot at lead-off. Pair this with the above-average on-base-percentage, and you’re going to get a guy who gives the core of the Cubs offense a plethora of opportunities for RBI.

We haven’t seen the power that we know Schwarber has in him so far this season, and allowing him to focus on getting on base could lead to his power returning. We can all look to Anthony Rizzo to prove that as well. In 2018, Rizzo had a few notable cold spells. He batted around .150 through May and had a hitless slump during July. During both of those stretches, Joe Maddon placed Rizzo in the lead-off spot, and it paid huge dividends.

In his first seven starts as the lead-off man, he got on base to start the game and has a career average of .579 in the role. This opportunity gave someone like Rizzo to get his groove back, and not saying the results will be the same for anyone else, but giving Schwarber this same chance could be a move that takes not only him but this Cubs offense as a whole, to another level.

Having someone in the lead-off spot that can get on base, with a track record of power, would go a long way for this Cubs team. Schwarber is someone who has demonstrated patience and the ability to never give up so far in his career. Battling back from a brutal injury in 2016, learning an entirely new position to allow himself to be in the Cubs lineup in 2017, and a physical transformation in the off-season before 2018, he’s willing to do whatever it takes for his team.

I believe he is the perfect candidate for the lead-off role, and with the opportunity, the Cubs could find themselves their first mainstay in the role since Dexter Fowler.