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Chicago Cubs: Is Kyle Schwarber the next Adam Dunn?

By Brandon Hinrichs

Apr 21, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber hits a single during the 11th inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The Cubs won 6-5. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 21, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber hits a single during the 11th inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The Cubs won 6-5. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /
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Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber is struggling to find his hitting groove to begin the 2017 season. Here’s why his overall play is reminiscent to another former Chicago slugger.

When he returned from being sidelined all season long to play meaningful baseball once more with the Chicago Cubs, during the biggest stage, the 2016 World Series, Kyle Schwarber was as hot as anyone at the plate. After all, he hit .412 in five games played, striking out just four times in 17 at-bats. His impressive performance made fans everywhere feel ecstatic for what Schwarber could do in 2017.

So far though, Schwarber hasn’t been able to carry his scorching hot World Series performance with him to begin this new season. Leading up to Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Schwarber looks nothing like the hitter we saw in last year’s matchup against the Cleveland Indians.

In 27 games played this season, Schwarber is batting just .190, in 105 at-bats. Furthermore, he already has 38 strikeouts. While he still continues to show flashes of power and plate discipline, hitting 4 home runs, while walking 17 times, it’s clear that the young slugger is pressing too much at the plate right now.

While it’s reasonable to expect Schwarber to rebound from his hitting woes over the upcoming months, his career play up to this point is reminiscent to another, once prominent Chicago slugger; Adam Dunn.

In case fans have forgotten, Adam Dunn, now retired, was a home-run hitting force at the plate for the Chicago White Sox from 2011-2014. While he produced many memorable moments with the White Sox, his career average after calling it quits following the 2014 season was just .237. Schwarber’s career average up to this point, in comparison, is .226.

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Just like Schwarber has demonstrated thus far, Dunn had a knack for drawing plenty of walks throughout his career. Yet, like Schwarber, Dunn also struck out frequently.

Both players’ defense in the outfield would be considered suspect at best. Schwarber currently plays left field with the Cubs, the same position Dunn played for the majority of his 14-year career.

It’s easy to compare the two player’s skillsets to one another, when diving into both their stats, as well as the eye-test.

Many felt that Dunn would be a perfect fit as a designated hitter in the American League, given his defensive limitations. The same is currently being said about Kyle Schwarber. Both players lack the necessary speed that’s often needed to chase down fly-balls hit to deep areas of the field.

Only time will tell if Kyle Schwarber’s career path is truly similar to Adam Dunn’s. At just 24-years-old though, Schwarber has plenty of time to work on his deficiencies at the plate. Remember, he’s coming off basically an entire lost season just one year ago. It takes time for even the best hitters to get back to full-speed after missing valuable playing time.

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Even if Schwarber ends up having a similar career as Adam Dunn, the Chicago Cubs would certainly take that. Dunn had multiple 40 home-run seasons, hitting 462 of them in total. He also had 8 seasons in which he walked over 100 times.

Getting on base frequently via walks, while hitting the long-ball often is a nice way for a player like Schwarber to have a long, yet fun-filled career.

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