C'mon, who can't like Schwindel, the guy who replaced Rizzo in the latter half of the season and was hitting like nobody's business (Frank the Tank, Schwindy City)?
Frank Schwindel won the NL Rookie of the Month award 2 months, yes 2 months in a row, plus hitting the best and most consistently of all the Cubs players in the latter half of 2021. So...Wow. Quite a pick-up.
Schwindel's finishing 2021 stats were: .342 BA, 1.002 OPS, 76 H, and 13 HR all in 56 Games and 222 AB. Talk about being on fire!
First, we see a really good plate discipline. He has an extremely low 15.1% strikeout rate (but only a 6.7% BB rate), and a 40.8 % Hard hit rate. That shows some good aggression while not being overly aggressive and a strikeout king like Wisdom.
The OPS is .278 over the MLB average in 2021, so that is a good plus as well, hitting 13 homeruns, 19 doubles, 16 walks and 40 RBIs over 222 ABs. The guy can sure hit well, and doubles, RBIs, and homers always make a well-rounded player.
The amazing fact about all this is that he came form the Athletics on waivers in July, and after the Cubs core was traded (including Rizzo), Schwindel got the call up to the big leagues. And he definitely more than filled in Rizzo's spot, becoming one of the Cubs main guys in August and September.
Some good bullets on Schwindel:
- He hit righties just about as well as lefties with a .327 vs lefties and a .324 vs righties.
- He had a .940 OPS with RISP, so that lead to some good RBIs.
- He has a .622 BA if he hit to the outfield, but only a .111 BA if he hit to the infield.
So, that's all good stuff, but how does Schwindel fit into the Cubs plans for 2022? He sure hit well in 2021, but does that mean he can keep it up next year as well?
First of all, I think Schwindel will definitely be on the Cubs Opening Day roster, and Hoyer said in his end-of-the-year press conference "“That was a lot of fun to watch. Watching the way he played, the energy he had, the way he grinded his at-bats… I think Frank is going to be a big part of our team.” So that tells me yes, he will be playing for the Cubs next year, but in what way?
A lot of that depends on whether the DH will be coming back to the NL in 2022. If it does, I would be inclined to think the Cubs might have Schwindel play a DH role, with playing 1B occasionally, especially if the Cubs bring back Rizzo (which is a possibility), or if Rivas starts playing on an every day basis.
But if the Cubs get a DH style player like Castellanos or Schwarber, then that would mean Schwindel would be playing 1B (the Cubs wouldn't have Schwarber play first like the Red Sox). So, a lot depends on the DH in the NL, and also if the Cubs decide Schwindel would be a better DH or continue playing first.
But that is merely on Schwindel's primary position. How is he actually going to hit in 2022? I don't think hitting .342 for a full season is a probability, but if he could be batting over .280 or even .300, that would make him a better-than-average everyday hitter.
And what if he doesn't do well in 2022, then what? What if he starts grounding out too much and his strikeout rates go up? Alfonso Rivas is a good internal option, but...you want a solid hitter like Schwindel on the team. So, I guess that is just something you always have to be prepared for.
Well, then it remains to seen what will happen with the DH and who the Cubs will target, but I very much believe that Schwindel will be a vital part to the 2022 Cubs if he continues to see the success he had in 2021.
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