Kyle Schwarber has been on one lately, as the kids say. He’s slashing .300/.406/.722 with 10 homers and 27 RBI since the start of August, largely by making an adjustment to his hand placement that allows him to react better to various pitches. He’s tinkered with both his mechanics and approach frequently in the past, but that often left him skewing either too aggressive or tentative at the plate.
It’s one thing to be reactive in the moment and another to react based on the tendencies of the pitcher and situation. By being willing to take what pitchers give him, and having a plan for how he’s going to do it, Schwarber is resembling the hitter the Cubs thought they were getting when they selected him with the fourth overall pick.