Kyle Schwarber just provided the Cubs with an annoyingly loud lineup reminder

It didn't take long for Kyle Schwarber to give Cubs fans the yearly reminder that their team let one of the best power hitters in the league walk away for nothing. After crushing 56 home runs and driving in 132 runs (both career highs) and finishing second in National League MVP voting last year, Schwarber waited until his first contest against the team that drafted him in 2014 to post his first multi-homer game of 2026. The first of many he will probably have this year.

Schwarber's tenure in Chicago was cut short after the 2020 season, when the team non-tendered him and let him walk away in free agency. Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer has said that this was one of his biggest regrets during his time in Chicago's front office, and it's not hard to see why. Only two players have hit more home runs than the 225 Schwarber has hit since he left the Cubs six years ago: Aaron Judge (254) and Shohei Ohtani (238).

That's it. That's the list. Schwarber's abilities are in the same category as two perennial MVP candidates, and his success with the Phillies after the Cubs kicked him to the curb almost completely severed his ties to Chicago. It always seemed like a pipe dream that he would return to Chicago when he reached free agency last offseason, and it wasn't shocking at all when he signed a $150 million deal to stay in Philadelphia.

The Cubs don't have a true power hitter

Meanwhile, the Cubs have struggled in the power department ever since. 2025 was the first time just one Chicago Cubs player reached the 30 home run mark in the 2020's. Even though Michael Busch, Seiya Suzuki, and Pete Crow-Armstrong all accomplished that feat last year, it's unrealistic to expect that kind of production every year from those guys.

Suzuki's season was likely an outlier since he was unable to hit 30 home runs in his first three years in MLB. Busch is a solid hitter who broke out last year, but it's unclear if he can replicate 30 home runs consistently. And Crow-Armstrong needs to figure out how to be more patient at the plate, as he is currently leading the league in swinging at pitches outside of the strike zone.

Those consistent 30+ home run hitters are not easy to come by, and I don't know if the sting of letting Schwarber walk will ever truly go away. Having a guy like that in your lineup can help mitigate the effects of prolonged offensive slumps that have plagued the Cubs at times over the last few years. The Cubs either need to hit the lottery on a draft pick or step out of their comfort zone and sign a free agent to a mega-contract.

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