Do the Phillies have a Kyle Schwarber problem?
On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia Phillies offense continued its three-game slump, eking out only four hits in a 2-1 loss at the Toronto Blue Jays. The first four batters in the Phillies' lineup combined to go 0-for-16 with nine strikeouts.
Leading the charge as usual was left fielder Kyle Schwarber, who turned in a particularly egregious performance. Schwarber went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and committed a crucial fielding mistake in the bottom of the eighth inning on a fly ball hit by Blue Jays left fielder Whit Merrifield. The play was strangely ruled a single rather than an error, but either way, it continued a Toronto rally that ultimately produced the winning run.
Schwarber's third straight hitless game lowered his batting average to a ghastly .181. Some may be quick to point out that his 88 walks are second only to San Diego Padres left fielder Juan Soto for the most in baseball. His 30 home runs also rank fourth among National League hitters, a year after he led the N.L. with 46 homers.
But Schwarber also leads in another category for the second straight season: strikeouts. His 200 last year were the most in the major leagues, and so far this season, he sits atop the leaderboard with 157. His aforementioned .181 average is the lowest of any qualifying batter (minimum 3.1 plate appearances per game).
Despite these numbers, Schwarber remains locked in as the Phillies' leadoff hitter. He has shown this season that if he isn't leading off, his confidence plummets. From May 7 to June 1, Schwarber was demoted to hitting fifth, and his average in that time was a dismal .130.
Schwarber's shortcomings in left field are obvious as well. He is the only player in the major leagues with a defensive WAR of -2 (-2.2, to be exact). In layman's terms, Schwarber's defense - or lack thereof - is estimated to have cost the Phillies two wins. He holds his team back more than any fielder in baseball.
On 29 other teams, Schwarber would be a designated hitter. The only reason he isn't the Phillies' DH is because Bryce Harper still hasn't been cleared to play full-time at first base following offseason Tommy John surgery. Once Harper is able to become an everyday fielder, the Phillies can move Brandon Marsh from center field to left, rookie Johan Rojas can become the full-time center fielder and Schwarber can take his place as designated hitter. That can't happen soon enough for the Phillies' sake.
This still wouldn't solve the predicament of Schwarber as a leadoff hitter. Yes, the Phillies went to the World Series last year with Schwarber leading off and batting just .218 with 200 strikeouts. There's no guarantee that lightning will strike twice, though. How can a team be taken seriously if their leadoff hitter has the worst average in baseball?
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