Chicago Cubs catcher/outfielder Kyle Schwarber is the clear frontrunner to bat leadoff, manager Joe Maddon confirmed Thursday.
Schwarber doesn't look the part of a traditional leadoff man and has only eight career plate appearances from the one-hole, but it really just means more trips to the plate overall for the soon-to-be 24-year-old. The switch could potentially hurt his RBI numbers, however. Schwarber was limited to only five plate appearances in the 2016 regular season, but he went 7-for-17 (.412) with three walks and a double in the World Series.
Schwarber has slashed .242/.353/.479 with a .360 wOBA across his first 278 major league plate appearances (71 major league games) while mashing 16 homers and driving in 43 runs.
Source: Rotoworld.com