Southern notes: Schwarber thinking big

Kyle Schwarber's approach at the plate transitioned seamlessly from college to professional baseball.

It was just the opposite, though, with Schwarber's work behind the plate.

The Chicago Cubs began the defensive remake of the No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 Draft during instructional camp last fall and continued the process in Spring Training.

"I pretty much started over," Schwarber said. "There were a lot of things thrown at me, but I've always been pretty good at picking up things."

The catching redo, though, very much remains a work in progress with the Tennessee Smokies for the Cubs' No. 2 prospect.

At times the former Indiana University standout looks fine behind the plate. Other times he doesn't.

One thing remains consistent, though: Schwarber can hit, which is why he is ranked No. 42 among MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects.

Through Sunday, the left-handed batter is leading the Double-A Southern League in on-base percentage (.445) and slugging (.586) while hitting .324 with 35 runs scored, 12 homers, 37 RBIs and 39 walks through 52 games.

In fact, his on-base plus slugging mark of 1.024 is among the best in the Minor Leagues.

Schwarber could probably help the Cubs at the plate right now, but the 22-year-old knows he has plenty of work still to do if he is going to catch in the Major Leagues.

"I want to be a complete ballplayer," he said.

Schwarber possesses all the intangibles needed to be a catcher, and no one questions his work ethic. He weighs 235 pounds, though, and needs to fine-tune his receiving skills as well as throwing.

In his first 32 games behind the plate with the Smokies, Schwarber committed six passed balls and four errors while throwing out just 12 of 59 would-be base stealers.

No one said it was going to be easy.

Schwarber struggled defensively in Spring Training with the Cubs, who had him primarily play the outfield after he signed for a bonus of $3.1 million last year.

"This kid wants to be an everyday Major League catcher," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said in March. "Obviously the bat is very special. I think he has the aptitude to be an excellent game-caller. All the other stuff is going to take a little bit of time, but it's never going to be for a lack of effort."

The Cubs are being patient, and so is Schwarber. That's his approach as a hitter, too.

"I try to wait for my pitch, and then, when I get it, take advantage of it," said the Ohio native. "That's always what I've stuck to.

"I grew up watching Joey Votto play, and that is kind of where my approach came from. He's very particular about what pitch he wants. He'll even take a fastball down the middle if that's not what he's looking for."

Like Votto, Schwarber doesn't miss his pitch when he gets it.

The former high school linebacker batted .344 with 18 homers in 72 games last season with three Class A teams. Then he celebrated his birthday March 5 with a grand slam for the Cubs off San Francisco's Ryan Vogelsong during a Cactus League game.

After signing last year, Schwarber said his dream was to catch the final pitch when the Cubs finally end their more-than-a-century-long drought without a World Series championship.

"That is my ultimate goal," he said. "I can't think of anything better. I know I have a lot of work still to do, especially defensively. But I'm excited about getting a chance to catch and working my butt off. I want to be part of the celebration after catching that last pitch. I can't think of a better adrenaline rush."

In brief

Anderson OK: Center fielder Jacob May had to go on the disabled list with a concussion, but shortstop Tim Anderson missed just two games after the Birmingham players collided violently going for a flared ball June 2 against Biloxi. Anderson, the Chicago White Sox's No. 1 prospect, had just one hit in his first three games back with the Barons, dropping his average to .304. He had been 9-for-15 in the three games prior to the collision. May, the White Sox's No. 13 prospect, was hitting .311 before being hurt and leads the Southern League with 25 stolen bases.

Walker bashing: Chattanooga teammate Miguel Sano hit a ball off the clock atop the AT&T Field scoreboard early this season, but it is Adam Brett Walker who leads the Southern League in homers. The outfielder hit his 15th on June 7 at Jackson and also tops the league with 46 RBIs in 53 games. Third baseman Sano, Minnesota's No. 2 prospect and No. 10 on MLB.com's Top 100 list, was third in the home run race with 10 and sixth in RBIs with 36. The negative for Walker, the Twins' No. 13 prospect, was a league-high 77 strikeouts.

First impressions: Both outfielder Gabriel Guerrero and shortstop Jack Reinheimer got off to fast starts after being acquired by Arizona from Seattle as part of the Mark Trumbo trade June 3. The pair switched teams from Jackson to Mobile and went a combined 10-for-33 with three doubles and a triple in their first four games. Guerrero, 21, was 4-for-13 for the BayBears after hitting just .215 with the Generals. He became Arizona's No. 6 prospect, while Reinheimer, 22, is No. 11.

Million mark: Birmingham, the Southern League attendance leader, reached the million milestone June 2 in their 169th game at Regents Field. It took the Barons 252 games to hit that mark at their former home in Hoover. After drawing 204,269 during the final season in the suburbs, the Barons attracted 396,820 downtown in 2013 and 437,612 last year. The team had drawn 194,036 in 30 dates this season, an average of 6,468.