Should Kyle Schwarber Be Considered for MVP?
After signing a four year contract worth $79 million this past offseason, Kyle Schwarber began the season in a prolonged funk. Over the first couple months of the season, the new Phillies left fielder hit to the tune of a .178 batting average and a .731 OPS while only hitting 11 home runs. He bounced around the order in search of the swing that landed him a lucrative free agent contract with a contending team. To no avail, Schwarber continued his struggles while the team as a whole couldn’t find the consistency needed to sustain success at the plate. Through May, the Phillies offensive attack slashed just .244/.310/.401––representing an offense not meeting expectations following an offseason where the front office’s plan was to hit their way to the postseason. Then, June Schwarber happened.
The month of June has historically been Schwarber’s best offensive month as the warmer weather allows him to tap into his power stroke while using the big part of the field. Since June 1, Schwarber has hit .232/.316/.560 with 23 home runs and 48 RBIs. Though the slashline still doesn’t jump off the page, it is not a coincidence that the Phillies offense synchronously caught fire with Schwarber. Over the same time span, the Phillies offense is slashing .255/.315/.433, slingshotting the Phillies into a top 10 offense in the major leagues. Translation: Hittin’ Season begins with Schwarber.
Digging deeper into Schwarber’s 2022 offensive output, he ranks in the 90th percentile or better in most offensive statistics tracked by Statcast. For example, Schwarber finds himself in the 96th percentile in xwOBA, a statistic that takes the exit velocity and launch angle of all batted balls by a specific player and compares them to similar batted balls to determine the outcome of any particular hit. In addition, the slugger sits in the 99th percentile in Barrel %, signifying Schwarber consistently hits the ball at high exit velocities with an optimal launch angle range. To put these numbers into perspective, fellow National League MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt ranks in the 95th and 86th percentiles in these categories, respectively. On the season, the Cardinals first baseman is hitting .339/.421/.635.
All this is not to say Kyle Schwarber should be the favorite to win the National League MVP award. Current front runners Austin Riley and Paul Goldschmidt are having spectacular seasons that have been vital to their respective team’s success. However, the Phillies team offensive numbers with and without their slugger suggest Schwarber should at least be in the conversation. Just take a look at the past week with Schwarber out of the lineup due to a mild calf strain. In the six games without him penciled in the leadoff spot, the Phillies were held scoreless in three. Though it’s an extremely small sample size over the course of a full 162 game season, Schwarber’s presence at the top of the order has been critical to the club’s postseason push––especially with reigning MVP Bryce Harper out of the lineup since June 26.
If the MVP award is truly designated for the league’s most valuable player, it would behoove the voters to not at least consider Kyle Schwarber for a top 10 finish. Though his numbers aren’t wowing to the average viewer, Schwarber’s contribution to the lineup cannot be understated. The value he brings as a player and a leader is a major factor to the Phillies being in postseason contention. With September right around the corner, the Fightins will depend on Schwarber’s bat to lead them into October baseball.
Photo: Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire
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Categorized:Phillies