Dominant Kyle Schwarber stretch is more evidence he won't be remembered as a Cub

Kyle Schwarber has set the MLB record for most leadoff home runs in a single season, proving Rob Thomson right in the best of ways. Schwarber is all about setting records, but he doesn't have time to think much of them while he's still playing.

“I’ve always said that those things will be cooler when I’m done,” Schwarber said. “Right now I’m just trying to win baseball games. Winning a baseball game is cooler than that.”

Schwarber set a record which had been held by Alfonso Soriano, one of the best (clean) power hitters of his generation. Schwarber, who thrives on the long ball, often gets his team off to a respectable start.

When Schwarber gets hot, there is very little stopping him. As Bryce Harper put it, he is that kind of hitter.

“It kind of snowballs for him,” Harper said. “We all know that when Kyle gets hot, it’s fun to watch. We’re excited to see that. I love seeing homers. Super impressive being able to do that.”

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Kyle Schwarber will be remembered for time with Phillies, rather than Cubs

Schwarber has spent several seasons in Philadelphia, and frankly it's been a long time since he was a Cub. While he was a critical member of the Cubs 2016 World Series team, he will not be remembered solely because of his time in Chicago. If there were a Hall-of-Fame cap for Schwarber -- which there will not be -- he wouldn't have a decided cap at this point in his career. The stats back that up.

Schwarber has more home runs with the Phillies (125) and the Cubs (121). He has more postseason home runs with the Phillies (11) than the Cubs (6). His home runs per/162 games is higher with the Phillies than the Cubs. His OPS+ is 16 points higher with the Phillies than the Cubs. Overall, Schwarber is judged for what he accomplishes at the plate. He has accomplished more in Philadelphia than Chicago, and both teams have passionate fanbases.

Schwarber's mentality towards the lead-off spot is different than most teams. Yes, he aims to get on-base, but beyond that he will not test the arm of the opposing catcher, nor the outfield.

“There’s a lot of talk about how he doesn’t steal bases, he doesn’t do that,” Thomson said. “But he walks and he slugs. And our lineup is so long that the second time he comes up, usually there’s people on base. And that’s where he gets his RBIs. He’s only leading off one time a game.”

The analytics (please don't grown too loudly) suggest Schwarber should get as many opportunities to hit as possible. Thomson makes that happen on the regular.