The youth revolution continues in Chicago. The Chicago Cubs coveted catching prospect is heading to The Show, albeit for a short stint.
Kyle Schwarber is the No. 2 prospect in the Chicago Cubs system that has seen both Kris Bryant and Addison make it to the bigs and succeed. With Blake Swihart in Boston and Jorge Alfaro out for the year, Schwarber is the top catching prospect in all of baseball. But that’s not what he’ll be doing in his first stint in the Majors.
Theo Epstein, via MiLB.com, has made it perfectly clear that this is not a permanent move. The Chicago Cubs are heading to American League ball parks for interleague, and the Cubs intentions are to allow Schwarber to ”contribute as a designated hitter, as a bat off the bench and as a third catcher.”
"“He told me the whole deal about the six days. I’ll be up there for six days and then I’ll head back down to Des Moines,” Schwarber said on MiLB.com. “I’m excited about being able to get the opportunity to go there, compete, learn, get to be around the catching coordinator, be around big league catchers, just being able to hopefully contribute. That’ll be all worth it. I’ll get a little taste and then go to Triple-A and work my way back.”More from Call to the PenPhiladelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis CardinalsPhiladelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount RushmoreBoston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ commentAnalyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals"
Schwarber has been on fire all season long for the Tennessee Smokies. Drafted in the first round last season by the Cubs, Schwarber had a debut season to remember. He homered in his first professional game and hasn’t looked back since. He came out of his first half season with a combined .344/.428/.634 slash line over three levels adding 18 home runs and 53 RBI.
He will crush those numbers this season. As he mentioned, the 22-year old is foregoing Triple-A and going straight to the Majors. Upon his return, he will make his Iowa Cubs debut in the Pacific Coast League. Schwarber wraps up his short Double-A career clashing .320/.438/.579 with 13 home runs and 39 RBI.
What started out as mild controversy over a questionable rule has opened the flood gates for the Cubs this season. They waited their allotted two weeks to call up Kris Bryant, and since then, their No. 1 ranked farm system has been on the rise. Who is up next? C.J. Edwards? Dan Vogelbach? No one knows just yet, but Cubs fans can sit back and enjoy the MLB debut of Schwarber for now.