Red Sox: Kyle Schwarber joins a Boston legend thanks to his hot start

Kyle Schwarber has been white-hot for the Red Sox

The Red Sox may not have made any waves at the Trade Deadline but one thing they did do was bring in slugger Kyle Schwarber. A booming lead-off hitter who was pegged as the solution to the issues at first base. With things settling down at the position we’ve seen Schwarbs in more of the DH role and what he’s done at the plate has been nothing short of legendary.

Now, that could be a bit hyperbolic but thanks to our friends over at Red Sox Notes, it’s hard to deny what Schwarber has been doing. He’s reached base safely 32 times through his first 15 games with the team which is the most since 2001 when Manny Ramirez did it. That’s right buds, it’s been 20 years since these kinds of on-base numbers have been produced and the last guy to do it is a Boston legend.

What’s even more impressive to me is that Schwarbs and Manny have some of the exact same stats through their first 15 games. Each had 65 plate appearances with a trio of bombs and a wild 492 OBP. Many were disappointed when the Red Sox brought in the slugger since he was on the IL and didn’t really suit any of their needs. I think in the month since the move was made fans are more than happy with what the big man has been able to do with Boston.

Schwarber became the talk of the league during the first half when anytime he stepped into the batter’s box it was a guaranteed home run. Not only was he launching baseballs out of the ballpark but many of them left the damn stratosphere. He’s only tacked on the three while with Boston but he’s done far more for the team and is more than earning his spot.

I’m going to continue to harp on those 65 plate appearances as they’re the foundation for everything else he’s done so far. During that same time in the batter’s box, he’s amassed 17 hits and 15 walks to just 14 strikeouts which is fantastic. Thanks to that level of productivity he’s rocking a .340/.492/.600/1.092 slash which has made him one of the most productive guys on the roster as of late. Unfortunately, he hasn’t knocked in many with just five RBI, but he’s scored 11 runs himself so it balances out.

While he’s been phenomenal for the Red Sox so far in 2021, we’re now in the final month of the regular season and need to start looking toward 2022. The seven-year vet will be turning 29-years-old at the beginning of next season and has a mutual option in his deal for the season. While most contracts will have either a club or player option the mutual option is a tad different. Instead of needing just one of the parties to active the option both need to agree to it for the mutual to kick in.

There are a lot of factors that Chaim Bloom and the Red Sox need to factor in with Schwarber but I wouldn’t be surprised to see an extension offered to the slugger. J.D. Martinez has another opt-out in his deal after this season and very well could walk if he’s had enough of Boston, leaving a massive gap in the DH spot. Even if Martinez remains with the club, there’s more than enough room in this lineup for Schwarbs to continue doing damage.

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I think at the very least we’ll see the mutual option agreed upon by both sides as a bride toward an extension either before Opening Day or into the season. Obviously, there are some other big names on the roster that are in need of some new deals, mainly Rafael Devers and Eduardo Rodriguez, but Chaim would be foolish to not have Schwarber at the top of that list. Having the ability to play the outfield, DH, and now cover first makes him a fantastic asset to Alex Cora and this team.

If his first month with the team is any indication of what we can expect in his second, then bringing him in was a great move by the club. The fact that he has already gone in the Red Sox record books alongside a team legend like Manny Ramirez is enough for me to say it was a successful deal. Hopefully, he can bring some more of that boom that we’re used to from him and drive this team toward some October baseball and maybe a miracle run at the Commissioner’s Trophy.