The skill-set hasn't been difficult to notice.
Kyle Schwarber has changed how people view the Red Sox' lineup, and also how his teammates approach at-bats. The eye-test backs it up, as do all kinds of numbers.
"Absolutely," Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers told WEEI.com when asked if Schwarber's presence has altered how his teammates approach their at-bats. "One-hundred percent."
When it comes to statistics, take your pick.
- Schwarber has made contact with the fifth-fewest pitches out of the strike zone of any player in the game since he started wearing a Red Sox uniform.
- During that time he has offered at pitches out of the strike zone just 22 percent of the time, that is ninth-best in MLB.
- Schwarber has gotten behind in counts with first-pitch strikes just 52 percent of the time since Aug. 13, also putting him at No. 9 among big league hitters.
- Since that first Red Sox at-bat, only two players (Juan Soto, Bryce Harper) have walked more than Schwarber.
- Post-Schwarber implementation, the Red Sox possess the second-most walks in MLB. Before he arrived, they were at No. 23.
You get the picture, as have the Red Sox.
"Hitting, there are a lot of things that are contagious with how the flow of the season goes and how pitchers are attacking us in general," Hyers said. "Having Kyle on board, talking the language in the cage and values that part of the game … It doesn’t mean everybody else doesn’t value it, but talking about it, valuing it and then going out there and doing it and see the results helps everybody. And having a guy on base all the time relaxes players. When everybody is making outs, everybody is wanting to do something and becomes a little more aggressive. But then you see him having success, you can relax and it is contagious. I can tell you the mindset of everybody is more focused on quality at-bats.
"They have seen him on TV. They have seen in the World Series. They saw him win a championship. So they see that part of being a winner and being someone who is successful and staying in the league is someone who is valuing the strike zone."
So, what's the secret?
Does he really good eyesight?
"I guess. 20-20. I figure I haven’t been told I have to wear glasses, so that’s good," Schwarber told WEEI.com with a chuckle.
No, there is a better explanation. It's one that many might have thought of when trying to decipher such a unique skill-set.
"I kind of always had a sense for the plate. I think a lot of it, too, was being a catcher," Schwarber expplained. "Just receiving baseballs since I was a kid until 2015. So to see the ball come in behind the plate, I think that was a big help for me. The biggest thing is trusting the decision with your eyes. Don’t get me wrong, discipline can come and go, but it’s always something good to have when you feel like things aren’t going well."
Schwarber is also quick to credit his father, youth and college coaches, including his Cape Cod League manager Cooper Farris. ("He was able to talk hitting and help evolve an approach," the former Wareham Gatemen slugger said of Farris.)
But this has undoubtedly been a work in progress, as was pointed out by current Red Sox bench coach Will Venable, who was with the Cubs while Schwarber throughout most of the slugger's career.
"I feel like he has always had a quality to his plate appearances and his approach, but now it is a whole different level," Venable explained. "He is seeing the baseball. He is unloading his ‘A’ swing on pitches he wants to swing at and he’s taking some really tough pitches. Thinking about it when we were with the Cubs, waiting for him to unlock some of the consistency with his plate discipline and approach, we’re seeing that now."
He has been the right guy at the right time for the right team.
"It is a rarity," said Hyers when talking about Schwarber's strike zone discipline. "There have been some guys I have been around who controlled the strike zone and had some power. Mookie Betts. Justin Turner. Max Muncy. Just being with those guys, being around them, that is who he reminds me of. Just the guys who value that part of it. Just being stubborn. Stubborn what they want to do at the plate. They are trying to control the at-bat and chase pitches with the mindset of ‘Wherever you throw it I just chase you all over the zone.’ He is very confident in what he wants to do and those types of hitters, that’s who I associate with. Guys who want to control the at-bat. Because, hitters, we’re playing defense. We’re trying to make those decisions that help us get into those counts that put the percentages in our favor."