Why the Cubs Drafted Kyle Schwarber
It might seem obvious to Chicago Cub fans why the Cubs would draft Kyle Schwarber, but it wasn’t a given by any stretch of the imagination. Schwarber was never a very gifted athlete, and he’s not exactly graceful when he’s on the field. But he owns a certain set of skills which are very attractive, especially to the Chicago Cubs brass.
Now anyone could point to the majestic moonshot home runs that land on top of the Wrigley Field scoreboard as a reason why the Cubs of course would be interested. But that just simply isn’t the only reason the Cubs wanted Kyle. There are certain parts of his personality, his mental makeup, and just an underlying will to succeed in his game that truly left him as one of the most attractive options in the 2014 draft.
This is all well and good, and easy to be said, but how does one measure that? How could the Cubs identify a trait that is virtually invisible to the naked eye? And how would they know that he would continue to display this attribute?
When Theo Epstein joined David Axelrod on his podcast for CNN, he dove into this very topic.
When working with the Boston Red Sox, they were approached by some neuroscientists to see if they can identify major traits in baseball’s best players. Through that testing they found certain indicators which were similar across all good hitters. Knowing this they were able to create a test, almost like a video game, and which they could use in their scouting of younger players.
Theo Epstein attributes this test to them being able to identify Boston Red Sox player Mookie Betts. In the Axe-Files podcast, Theo mentions how Mookie was a very difficult player to scout. He continued, saying how he was a much better bowler than baseball player in high school, and since he didn’t play in many advanced level tournaments he was very difficult to figure out.
When Betts was able to take this test however, he aced it, pegging each category at 100%. This was a huge reason behind the Red Sox moving Betts up from possibly a 15th round pick to the fifth round.
Similarly, this test was one of the strongest reasons (besides recently passed scout Stan Zielinski strong stamp of approval) the Cubs reached for Kyle Schwarber with the fourth pick in the 2014 draft. While no one questioned Kyle’s ability to mash, it was the rest of Kyle’s game that had scouts and baseball people scratching their head.
Could Kyle become a complete big league player, or will he forever be a one-dimensional hitter? When 29 other teams couldn’t answer that question, the Cubs could, without question.
Theo and company are seeing how right their intel is. Betts was runner-up in the AL MVP voting. Kyle showed the world that even when injured he tirelessly worked on his craft. In fact, one of my favorite stories that came out of the Cubs Convention was about Kyle and his will to become better.
When Kyle was able to begin working out, he did so at the Cubs facility, something many athletes wouldn’t do. He did so to be around his teammates. Since he was around the facility, he helped break down hitters and pitchers. He helped develop game plans on that research, and even helped the scouting department by watching video of young prospects. Now this comes as a surprise to many people that know pro sports or have been around the game. Players don’t do this. Typically they leave and workout by themselves, as they are often embarrassed to be around the team.
Not Kyle. He wanted to be there because he’s made from a different cloth. The best part is – the Cubs knew this. They knew he would be this type of guy, because of their scouting, because of Stan, and because of this software.
It’s also safe to say that this program is responsible for the Cubs ability to identify quality prospects – and have them actually succeed at the MLB level.
For years the organization has lived through the Gary Scott’s, the Ty Griffen’s, and the Bobby Hill’s of the world. Now once a player has been identified, they become quality major leaguers. A lot of this is attributed to the scouting. They are with these players for several years, identifying their ability to play, grow, and handle adversity. But this program seems to be a difference-maker in telling the difference in “could-be” players, and sure fire prospects.
I predict a lot of very good years ahead for the Cubs. I’m more certain this program will have a lot to do with it.
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