CLEVELAND -- Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon called it a “glimpse.” His young Cubs team had just put up 17 runs on a shell-shocked Cleveland Indians pitching staff, which included two position players taking the mound in a seven-run ninth inning in Wednesday’s 17-0 win.
The visitors were led by rookie Kyle Schwarber, who was making his first start in the majors a little over a year after being drafted in the first round (No. 4 overall).
Schwarber went 4-for-5, including a triple for his first big league hit.
“I don’t know how to explain that,” Schwarber said, smiling. “Just trying to get good pitches to hit. Today I got some good barrel on some pitches and it worked out.”
Schwarber is from Ohio, not far from Cincinnati, and he estimates 40 or so family members and friends were in attendance. He’s a catcher by trade, but the Cubs are using him as the designated hitter this week and then will send him down to Triple-A for more seasoning behind the plate. They called him up from Double-A for five interleague games in American League parks because they think his bat might be big league ready.
On Wednesday, he hit both off-speed pitches and fastballs alike in the Cubs' 18-hit attack.
“Yeah, you get a glimpse of what it could look like when everyone is here,” Maddon said.
By "everyone" Maddon means the entirety of the Cubs' youth movement, which is quickly making its way to the major leagues. Schwarber is the third first-round pick to make his debut this season following Addison Russell, who hit a two-run home run on Wednesday, and Kris Bryant, who hit a ninth-inning grand slam. Young Cuban slugger Jorge Soler is out with an ankle injury, so the Cubs aren’t quite at full strength right now, but 26-year-old first baseman Anthony Rizzo joined the party with a two-run shot.
“Again, I just look at what it’s going to look like,” Maddon said. “They’ve done things together [off the field] before they got here. That always helps the transition period. I can see the interaction among the group. It’s that, combined with really solid leadership from the veteran guys.”
The Cubs are in their infancy on offense. None of the rookies are older than 23 and they still have a long way to go, but the promise is there. The Indians saw it in spring training when Soler, Triple-A infielder Javier Baez and Bryant hit back-to-back-to-back homers in a Cactus League game. They saw it again on Wednesday from a Double-A catcher. It was the first time in 46 years that the Cubs won in a shutout by at least a 17-run margin.
“It’s kind of just like any other game,” Schwarber said. “It’s easy when you have guys real accepting of you and want you to have success.
“I’m just trying to take advantage of an opportunity I have.”
After his four-hit evening, Schwarber and others might wonder what it would take for him to stay in the big leagues rather than head to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, as predetermined by the front office. The Cubs want him to improve behind the plate before making a return -- catching isn’t exactly like playing the outfield, after all. Schwarber understands he could be in the majors for good right now if he played another position.
“It’s something I want to do,” he said. “If it takes more time, it takes more time. I have a true passion for it.”
He showed a passion for hitting on Wednesday, and his teammates jumped on board for the ride. In doing so, the Cubs climbed back to a season-high seven games over .500 while adding yet another bat to a highly touted young group. Their 17 runs were a statement to the league: This is just the beginning.
“It’s awesome,” Schwarber said of the whole experience.
He could have easily been talking about the Cubs' future.