Chicago Cubs: Kyle Schwarber is an all-time postseason legend

The postseason legend of former Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber grew even larger on Tuesday night during the Red Sox 6-2 win over the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card game. Schwarber went 1-for-3 with a solo home run which was arguably the biggest swing of the night.

Schwarber came up to start the bottom of the third facing Yankees ace, Gerrit Cole. On a 1-2 count he got a belt high fastball and absolutely clobbered it to left field for a home run. Cole wound up departing the game after only recording six outs.

For Cubs fans this all sounds too familiar. Schwarber did the exact same thing off Cole during the 2015 Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. What else can you say? Schwarber just loves hitting home runs off Cole in October.

Seeing Schwarber hit that massive home run off the right-hander felt like a full circle moment. From where Schwarber started to where he is now, he is starting to put himself in the conversation for one of the greatest postseason performers of all-time.

Back in 2015, when Schwarber was a rookie with the Cubs, he put on a laser show in the playoffs. Schwarber hit five homers during that October run. That performance alone put him as the all-time leader in Cub postseason home runs, a record he still has a share in to this day.

Chicago Cubs: Kyle Schwarber was built for big postseason moments

One of the main reasons I ultimately call Schwarber a postseason legend is because of what he did during the 2016 World Series championship run. Schwarber should not have never even been on the field because of a torn ACL that happened earlier that season. He worked his way back and was able to make a huge impact during the World Series.

In that series, Kyle Schwarber hit .412 in five games all while not even 100 percent. Arguably, his biggest hit was a leadoff single during the top of tenth inning during Game 7. Although he himself didn’t cross the plate (a pinch runner took his place following the knock) – that runner came around to score a critical tally.

The grit and grind of his comeback during the 2016 run alone should make him an all-time postseason legend, but he continues to wrack up big moments when the lights are shining brightest.

As of October 6, the former first-rounder has played in 25 postseason games where he has hit seven home runs to go along with a .290 average. He also has a .609 slugging percentage in his postseason career. Needless to say, Schwarbs rakes in October.

The Red Sox take on the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the ALDS on Thursday at 7:10 pm CT. Here’s to hoping we get to see more iconic Kyle Schwarber moonshots during the month of October.