Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies is one of MLB’s most powerful men.
He finished second in home runs last year in all baseball, and led the National League with 46.
Batting average, however, has never been his game.
His career-high in the stat is .266, which came in 2021.
His career .233 average is a better representation of his true talent, though.
Schwarber is the definition of a three true outcomes hitter: most of his plate appearances end up in a walk, a homer, or a strikeout.
He fanned 200 times last year and hit .218.
His resolution for the 2023 campaign is cutting down on the strikeouts to be a better, more balanced hitter.
“At Phillies camp today where Kyle Schwarber said he wants to cut down on the K’s: ‘I punched out 200 times last year. That’s not acceptable. If I can cut down on 50-75, that’s more balls in play and without that wall (the shift) out there, there might be a few to squeeze through,'” MLB insider Jesse Rogers tweeted.
At Phillies camp today where Kyle Schwarber said he wants to cut down on the K's: "I punched out 200 times last year. That's not acceptable. If I can cut down on 50-75, that's more balls in play and without that wall (the shift) out there, there might be a few to squeeze through"
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) February 24, 2023
To cut 50-75 strikeouts, Schwarber would need to execute major changes to his approach and/or swing.
That could be a recipe for disaster because his power could be greatly affected.
Schwarber is probably better off as he is, but if he can implement the changes without losing too much in the way of power, it would be an ideal scenario for the Phillies.
There is an important takeaway here, though: a Schwarber that hits .230 with 45 homers is probably still better than the one who hits .270 with 28 dingers, assuming similar on-base skills.
Power is still very, very valuable in MLB.
NEXT: MLB Insider Gives Latest Update On Bryce Harper