Chicago Cubs: Comparing Joc Pederson to Kyle Schwarber

Cubs: Let’s take a step back and consider all the numbers

To look at the players and aspects of the game, we can look who has the slight edge over the other.

Hitting for average: Wash

They are pretty much the same, and average is not the end-all-be-all stat anymore anyway.

Getting on base: Schwarber

Pederson will not walk as much as Schwarber and his OBP over the past three years is .325 compared to Schwarber’s .340. Always have to hand it to Schwarber who is good at drawing walks.

Power: Schwarber

Both have nice power strokes but Schwarber has hit almost as many homers as Pederson in less games; we will see how he does at Wrigley Field and other NL Central parks like Great American Ballpark and Miller Park.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups

Speed: Pederson

There is no question Pederson is more agile in general. He is a much better baserunner and speed has kind of lacked for the Cubs the past few years.

Contact: Pederson

Both strikeout over the league average but Pederson will make more contact. The difference is not huge but Pederson makes more contact overall (74% on swings vs. Schwarber’s 72.2%) and does so on pitches both inside and outsize the zone.

Defense: Pederson

This one is not even close. Pederson can play wherever in the outfield, he is quicker and overall more efficient with the glove. Defense and versatility is where the two are completely different players.

Conclusion. Yes there are some huge similarities between the two, but there are some differences that stand out. Cubs fans will miss the titanic blasts of Schwarber and will always appreciate what he did for the team, but Pederson brings some very welcomed things to the Cubs.

There are still plenty of holes on the upcoming 2021 Chicago Cubs roster, but this is a solid fill if the team is not spending much. As previously mentioned it was kind of unthinkable that the Cubs would be able to nab a guy like Pederson as this came pretty unexpected. Shoutout to FanGraphs for all the numbers in this piece.