Looking back, I don’t remember another largely unproven player see the same level of hype as Kyle Schwarber heading into 2017. After a miraculous return from a devastating injury, helping lift the Chicago Cubs to their first World Series title in 108 years. To call it unwarranted isn’t exactly fair.
But as of Opening Day 2017, the former first-rounder had a total of 71 big-league regular season games under his belt. In those games, he showcased a solid ability to get on (.353 OBP) and power that left fans clamoring over one another in the bleachers at Wrigley for home run balls.