Cubs prospect Kyle Schwarber comes away with Futures Game MVP

The Futures Game is one the of the best places to catch Major League Baseball’s young talent before they reach the majors. Considering the impact prospects have already played this season, there ought to be considerable interest in the game

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Anyone who has paid attention to the prospect influx this season probably wasn’t surprised that Chicago Cubs catching prospect Kyle Schwarber came away with the MVP award. Team USA beat up on Team World, picking up the 10-1 win. Schwarber’s third inning, two-RBI triple helped Team USA increase their lead during the contest. Schwarber also threw out Ketel Marte on the bases, which may have contributed to him winning the award.

Schwarber, who grew up in Ohio, told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com that it was great to be able to perform in front of his family.

“It was a great experience, being able to play in front of all my friends and family and all these great fans and to play with a great group of guys,” Schwarber said. “It was easy to get along with these guys. There were no personalities [getting in the way]. We were all here for the same purpose — to have fun.”

Since Team USA scored 10 runs, Schwarber faced some tough competition for the award. Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Josh Bell clobbered a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner was 2 for 2 at the plate, knocking in two RBI. Nationals pitcher Lucas Giolito also could have contended for the award after tossing two scoreless innings to start the game.

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Ultimately, the voters decided on Schwarber. While the Futures Game often features the best young players in baseball, winning the MVP award doesn’t necessarily equate to success in the majors.

In the 17 years since the event began, five players who won the MVP went on to be an All-Star in the majors during their careers. This list includes players like Alfonso Soriano, Jose Reyes and Billy Butler.

On the flip side, players like Toby Hall and Sean Burroughs took home the MVP award in consecutive years. Both were major-league regulars for a couple of seasons, but neither managed elite production.

The past couple MVPs have had mixed results. Joey Gallo won in 2014, and showed off some of his skills in a brief debut this season. Prior to that, Chicago White Sox prospect Matt Davidson won the award. Davidson had an awful 2014 season, and it really stalled his development in the minors.

Before Davidson, Nick Castellanos, Grant Green and Hank Conger took home the award. Castellanos has been a below average regular the past few seasons, while both Green and Conger have emerged as major-league backups.

Winning the award doesn’t guarantee success, but most players experience at least a couple seasons in the majors.

Kyle Schwarber #74 of the Chicago Cubs bats during the game against the Cincinnati Reds.

That shouldn’t be a problem for Schwarber. The 22-year-old already experienced time in the majors this season. Over six games, he hit .364/.391/.591 in 23 plate appearances. The Cubs only used him during interleague play, and were adamant that he would be sent down after those six contests.

It was an incredibly small sample, but Schwarber showed that his bat was more than ready against major-league hitters. His potent bat was on display again Sunday.

There are still some questions about Schwarber’s defense, however. The Cubs have tried to keep him at catcher, but few analysts outside the organization expect him to stay there. Schwarber received some positive marks from prospect analysts for his improved footwork and good “pop” time (the time it takes a catcher to pop up and release the ball on a steal attempt), but was charged with a passed ball during the game.

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For the Cubs, that’s not the worst problem to have. Plenty of players have been moved off more difficult positions because they couldn’t handle it. Few of those players had Schwarber’s ability at the plate.

It’s already been an incredibly successful year for Schwarber. He made his major-league debut, and took home the Futures Game MVP award. The next step is settling into a full-time role with a contending team down the stretch. That’s starting to look very likely for the 22-year-old.

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