There is a hitter who has hit more home runs than single hits in the Major League of American professional baseball, making it a hot topic. He is also the team’s top hitter. The protagonist of the strange record is Philadelphia outfielder Kyle Schwarber (30).
Fox Sports of the United States said on the 8th (Korean time), “As of today, Schwarber has played in 138 games this season and is posting a batting average of 0.195, 41 home runs and 90 RBIs.” He added, “He hit a total of 98 hits, including 41 home runs and 41 home runs. “Excluding triples (1) and doubles (16), there are only 40 singles. He hit more home runs than singles.” The home run ranking is 3rd in the National League.
Schwarber, a left-handed hitter from Ohio, USA, entered the professional ranks after being selected by the Chicago Cubs in the first round (4th overall) of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft. He was a catcher at the time of the draft, and received so much attention that he was evaluated as a “power hitter who can turn the game around” from local American media and major league officials.
As a first-rounder, Schwarber made his major league debut in 2015, just one year later. In his first year, he appeared in 69 games and showed his potential by posting a batting average of 0.246, 16 home runs, and 43 RBIs. He also had a good OPS, which is the combination of slugging percentage and on-base percentage, at 0.842.
Since then, Schwarber has grown into a power hitter who hits double-digit home runs every year except for 2016, when he played in only two games due to injury. Following 2017 (30) and 2019 (38), he surpassed 30 home runs in the season (32) in 2021 (32) while playing for Washington and Boston, and hit a career-high 46 arches last year when he moved to Philadelphia. With this power, he was able to sign a large four-year contract worth $79 million (about 105.2 billion won) with Philadelphia last year.
But he also has weaknesses. Compared to power, the precision of the strike is greatly reduced.
Schwarber, who recorded a batting average of 0.188 in the 2020 season, only hit 0.218 last year. His batting average remains at 0.195 this year. His career home runs are 240, but his batting average is only 0.227.스포츠토토
Schwarber said in an interview with Fox Sports, “If you ask me if I want a season batting average of 0.260, of course I will say yes,” and “I really hate seeing my batting average displayed on the electronic display while at bat. But what can I do if that is reality? Accept reality. “I have to find a way to become a more productive hitter,” he said.
He went on to say, “If my batting average is currently at 0.180 and my on-base percentage is staying at 0.250, that would be really serious,” and appealed indirectly that his season on-base percentage (0.345) and slugging percentage (0.475) are still good. OPS is 0.820.
Philadelphia has frequently used Schwarber as the number one hitter this season. He is not a typical top hitter with quick feet. The records prove this. Until this day, he had attempted to steal twice this season, but was not successful in any of them. His major league career stolen bases are also 22 (36 attempts).
Regarding this, Schwarber joked in an interview with the media, saying, “I am far from the typical number one hitter who can steal about 30 bases in a season. Maybe 29 or so.”
He then mentioned Dexter Fowler (37), a former Cubs teammate, and said, “He was a truly outstanding top hitter. Watching him play, I realized how much influence a top hitter can have on the game at the plate. I don’t know that much yet.” “But as I play more often as the number one hitter, I feel more at ease and I think I’m getting better,” he said.
Schwarber has hit 28 home runs in the first batting order this season, showing a new type of top hitter. Among them, there were a total of 10 home runs by the leadoff hitter in the first inning, setting the Philadelphia team’s all-time record.