Why Kyle Schwarber Made Most Sense For Phillies In Left Field
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Kyle Schwarber didn't grow up with Kris Bryant, as Bryce Harper did. He doesn't have a reputation for hitting moonshots at the absolute worst times, as Nick Castellanos does. But, Schwarber does solve a lot of the team's lineup problems, and ultimately, that is what the Schwarber signing is intended to do.
Schwarber reportedly agreed to a four-year contract with the Phillies on Wednesday morning to be their new left fielder. The immediate terms of the deal are yet to be revealed, but according to The Athletic's Jayson Stark, it carries an annual average value of just under $20 million.
Schwarber's name might not carry as much luster as Bryant's or even Castellanos's. He comes with faults. He'll be far from a Gold Glove candidate in left field, but the short field in left at Citizens Bank Park should help cover up some of those concerns.
Yet, Schwarber gives manager Joe Girardi something he desperately needed -- an option atop the lineup. The 29-year-old figures to slot in as the Phillies' leadoff hitter or No. 2 in Girardi's lineup, though he certainly has the perfect makeup as a middle-of-the-order bat.
Before Schwarber, the Phils' options atop the order were slim pickings. Jean Segura probably offered Girardi his best leadoff hitter, but that left a hole in the two slot. Rhys Hoskins or J.T. Realmuto could have moved up to No. 2 and the other bat cleanup, but that shortens the lineup.
Now, Schwarber gives Girardi options and throughout his career, he's mashed atop the lineup.
Let's look at the numbers, per baseball-reference.com.
In 123 career games started batting first, Schwarber carries a .323 on-base percentage (OBP) and .857 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) with 58% of his 112 hits going for extra bases. He has a bad strikeout percentage (28%), but a very good walk percentage (12%) in the one spot.
Last season leading off, he owned a .385 OBP and 1.216 OPS in 27 games with 66% of his 30 hits going for extra bases (17 home runs and three doubles). His strikeout percentage and walk percentage were the same as his career numbers.
Essentially, Schwarber would strike out a ton, but he'll get on base a ton too and slug a ton too if he's batting leadoff.
Since the Phillies signed Bryce Harper, they've received almost nothing from atop the lineup. Last season especially was an eyesore, specifically from the leadoff spot.
Let's take another dive into the numbers.
In 2019 and 2020, the Phillies had a .326 on-base percentage from the leadoff spot. That ranked 55 and 56, respectively, out of 90. Last season, that percentage shrunk to .302 -- 83rd out of 90.
When examining the second spot during the three-season span, last season stands out as an outlier in the small sample size. As a team, the Phils' 2-hitter had a .308 OBP last season -- down from .367 in 2020 (13th) and .351 (25th) in 2019.
The Phillies' inability to get on base last season atop the lineup is a major reason behind Harper's low RBI total and an obvious hole the team needed to address for it to outhit its defensive deficiencies.
Schwarber will lengthen the Phillies' lineup and he addresses the team's problems atop the lineup.
Girardi will be able to either lead Schwarber off or bat him second behind Jean Segura. Segura is another leadoff option, though he struggled from that spot last season with a .312 OBP in 155 plate appearances. His career numbers are better than that, though, batting leadoff -- .342 OBP in 1,824 PA.
If Girardi chooses to bat Segura leadoff, he can either pencil Schwarber in as the two-hitter or put him in the middle of the lineup and move either Hoskins or Realmuto up without taking away too much from the leadoff spot.
Whether Schwarber elevates the Phillies into a playoff position remains to be seen. The extra playoff spot helps. They aren't as deep as the Mets or the Braves, but Schwarber helps solve a lot of their problems. From a lineup viewpoint, he made the most sense for what the Phillies needed from left field.
