We are all aware of the reputation Philadelphia has when it comes to underperforming athletes in this city. There are “boo birds” out en masse if a player does something that the city thinks isn’t up to their standards. Last night, against Tampa Bay, the fans were restless as scoring chance after scoring chance went wasted, frittered away by an offense that is so clearly pressing it’s barely funny.
When that ire is thrown from the stands, the suspects are usually the ones that have underperformed
seemingly since the day they arrived. Trea Turner has been the subject of many a negative comment both in these parts and at the stadium in person. Alec Bohm frequently hears from the people when one of his cold streak appears out of nowhere. Much people’s current distaste has been directed at the currently 0 for his last 32 J.T. Realmuto, all of that completely justified.
However, there needs to be some criticism lobbed at the leadoff hitter. Kyle Schwarber has not just been ineffective lately, he’s been pretty ineffective for a while now.
The supposed fulcrum of the Phillies offense has been off for not just a little bit now. If we’re looking at recent runs, Schwarber’s last 14 days has seen him hit .143/.345/.262 with one home run. Stretch that back even 28 days and the line doesn’t really get all that much better (.185/.333/.380). His basing his entire offensive profile on hitting home runs is great and worth all the accolades he has been given in the past, but his dry spell is costing the team dearly.
Now, the entirety of the offense is currently to blame for their predicament. Meant to clinch a playoff spot earlier this week, they have found themselves in the position where missing the playoffs entirely is truly on the table and the cluster of the roster to blame is the offense. They have simply disappeared. When an All-Star starter disappears from the planet as far as production at the plate (Brandon Marsh’s wRC+ since 7/1 is 33), that is going to have an effect on the offense. When the catcher joins him in offensive ineptitude (Realmuto’s during that same time is a very not nice 69), that’s two hitters of nine that are just anchors on a lineup and what they can do.
But having a leadoff hitter that doesn’t do what he’s supposed to do is also a weight that is hard to ignore. Schwarber since 7/1 has hit .205/.336/.413, a paltry amount compared to what we have seen from him in the past. He’s hit 15 home runs in that time frame, which is great since the rest of the lineups has seen little power outside of him, but again, it’s not up to his standard.
And there are the strikeouts.
Holy cow, the strikeouts. He’s not nearly as strikeout prone as someone like Colson Montgomery, the young White Sox slugger that just whiffed his way to the MLB strikeout record for a season. But Schwarber truly looks lost at times at the plate, that he’s just unable to make contact when it is needed most. Two things that have been noticeable is that he’s not squaring the ball up
and he’s hitting the ball on the ground a lot more often.
It’s enough to make one wonder if there is something deeper at play, some kind of injury that he has been hiding that will require something done in the offseason.
There could be a few changes in mind to help with the malaise of the offense as a whole. Batting order changes, substitutions, something that can be used to shake up what looks to be a dormant group of hitters. Something in these final two games that maybe kickstart something drastic. Panicking? Maybe, but panic mode is probably in order right now.
What would really help is a leadoff hitter that was doing his job and right now, Kyle Schwarber is not doing that.
