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Kyle Schwarber has been an incredible addition to the Boston Red Sox since the trade deadline. He’s always had power, but this season Schwarber has been an offensive powerhouse. His slash line this season is .266/.366/.564, which is a huge improvement when compared to his .188/.308/.393 slash line in 2020. What is he doing differently?
Quality of Contact
First, let’s take a look at his plate discipline. Schwarber strikes out a lot, but also walks a lot. This has always been the case for Schwarber. If we look at his zone contact rate, chase rate, and chase contact rate, nothing has really changed this season. His plate discipline remains about average. So what has changed for him?
That would be his quality of contact. Schwarber has always done a great job of making quality contact in terms of elite hard hit rate and average exit velocity. But this season, the results of that contact are different. Schwarber is hitting significantly fewer ground balls, and is hitting more line drives and fly balls.
|
Ground Ball % |
Line Drive % |
Fly Ball % |
|
|
2020 |
51% |
22% |
20% |
|
2021 |
40% |
24% |
33.5% |
|
Difference |
-11% |
+2% |
+13.5% |
This is important for Schwarber because he has so much power that goes to waste when it is spent on ground balls. His isolated power this season (SLG-AVG) has increased from .204 in 2020 to an elite .298 in 2021. While Schwarber is capable of getting different kinds of hits and using the whole field, he is at his best when he can channel that power into extra base hits more consistently.
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How Did this Change Suddenly Come About?
At the beginning of this season, Schwarber made a key mechanical adjustment in his batting stance. In 2020, he began his stance with his front leg on the straighter side and his back leg slightly bent, almost as if he were standing straight up. This season, he’s used a lower, more squatted stance with both of his knees bent slightly more than in 2020.
Looking at the big picture, I believe this improvement is here to stay, and the statistics back it up. Schwarber’s expected slugging percentage this season and expected weighted on base average are both in line with his actual slugging percentage and weighted on base averages. Additionally, both expected statistics are in the top 4% of the league.
As long as Schwarber stays healthy and continues to recover from his hamstring injury, the adjustments he made should allow him to be a consistent contributor to the Red Sox offense.