Baseball Prospectus | | Eyewitness Scouting Report


	Kyle Schwarber Born: 03/05/1993 (Age: 21)
	Bats: Left	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 0"	Weight: 229
	Primary Position: C
	Secondary Position: LF

Thick body, strong upper half; build not an issue now but should slow him down as he ages; broad shoulders.

Evaluator	Jeff Moore
Report Date	08/08/2014
Dates Seen	7/21-7/23
Affiliate	Daytona Tortugas (High A, Reds)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Video
2015	Low	60	Yes

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	55	Open stance, starts in slight squat; keeps hands low and away from his body; short swing path, slight uppercut; can get rotational and pull off of outer half; good, patient approach, good idea of the strike zone; wants the ball up, balls down will be routine ground balls.
Power	55	Plus bat speed, ball jumps on good contact; good combination of size, strength and bat speed/hitting ability will lead to above-aveage power; understands how to drive the ball; plus power to pull side.
Baserunning/Speed	40	Below-average runner, slow first step; not station-to-station yet but will eventually be a base-clogger.
Glove	40	Below-average defensive catcher; lateral movement on balls in the dirt is below-average; stiff hips keep him from getting side to side; quiet hands receiving pitches; pitch framing isn't perfect but isn't terribly sloppy either - won't buy his pitchers a lot of extra pitches but won't cost them too many either; fundamentally sound enough to get the job done but not athletic enough to be an asset; effective enough to play position presently, especially in part-time role, but will eventually have to move off position.
Arm	50	Average arm strength, enough to make the throws behind the plate; arm is accurate to second base; fundamentally sound with throws; above-average accuracy helps throws play up; 2.00-2.10 to second base; won't throw out a ton of base runners but shouldn't get taken advantage of either; arm is good enough to play behind the plate.

The Cubs drafted Schwarber for his bat which doesn't have the high-ceiling talent of some of their current top prospects, but does profile to be that of a solid, major league contributor. Schwarber's long-term home isn't behind the plate, but he can handle the responsibility for the time being, perhaps even catching everyday during the early part of his career. He'll always be below average behind the plate, but he's capable enough to remain back there for the time being given the asset that his offensive production would be from that position.

A realistic scenario could see the Cubs using him in the majors the same way they are using him in the minors, where he is catching a few days a week while splitting time in the outfield. That would allow his bat to continue to be an asset while keeping him from being over-exposed at the position.

Overall, the bat is going to have to carry Schwarber no matter where he ends up. The longer he can stay behind the plate, the more valuable his bat will be, but it will always be a stretch defensively. He'll end up in left field full time before he turns 30, but he has enough bat to be an everyday player out there as well.