Kyle Schwarber enters Saturday’s game against the Nationals with an underwhelming .220 batting average and .316 wOBA, but the underlying numbers suggest Schwarber has been much better.
Despite so-so run-creation numbers, Schwarber has consistently hit pitches harder than most hitters in the league. Indeed, his hard-hit rate has been 1.35–1.75 times higher than league average.
The problem is that Schwarber’s batted balls aren’t falling for hits. In his last 50 plate appearances, his expected wOBA has been hovering near .400, whereas his actual wOBA has remained near the league-average mark. That, folks, is sneakily insane.