Philadelphia Phillies Need to Hand Blank Check to Superstar Slugger

The Philadelphia Phillies are staring down their superstar slugger approaching free agency and need to hand him a blank check to keep that from happening.

May 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber (12) runs the bases after hitting a home run during the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

In what has come as a surprise to many around MLB, the Philadelphia Phillies have not received the power output from their potent lineup that everyone has become accustomed to over the last few years.

Entering play on Tuesday, they have combined to hit only 34 home runs in 34 games.

That ranks 18th in MLB to this point in the season and is a stark contrast to the 198 they hit in 2024.

While the fan base collectively hold their breath waiting for the power to arrive in Bryce Harper's bat, one slugger has carried the load of the team so far. And at the end of the 2025 campaign, that slugger, Kyle Schwarber, will be heading into free agency.

The Phillies signed Schwarber to a four-year, $79 million deal ahead of the 2022 season. In that time, the slugger has batted .222/.348/.492 with 142 home runs, 328 RBI and a 131 OPS+ across 2,232 plate appearances in 499 games. He has been named an All-Star once during his tenure with the team, as well as a Silver Slugger once, while leading the National League in home runs (46) in 2022 and RBI (106) last year.

This campaign has been more of the same for the designated hitter.

To this point, he has played in all 34 games and has batted .242/.397/.558 with an NL-leading 11 home runs, 26 RBI and a 164 OPS+ across 151 plate appearances.

Apart from slugging home runs at an elite level, Schwarber is also in the midst of a MLB-best 40-game on-base streak, dating back to last season.

He has been a major part of Philadelphia's lineup, literally and figuratively, throughout his tenure with the club. The bopper has come through time and time again in clutch situations, and has led the team in home runs in every campaign.

Since 2022, the Phillies have hit 657 home runs. Schwarber's 142 in that time accounts for 21.7% of that 657.

Again, he has been a massive part of the lineup.

With the slugger approaching free agency at the season's end, Philadelphia needs to do everything in its power to keep him in red pinstripes. The team has questionably handed out monster contracts in the past, but a megadeal to keep Schwarber on the team until his retirement would be the best course of action for both sides.

The man has done everything that he needs to do to get paid.

The Phillies have been front and center for all of it over the last four years and need to give Schwarber a blank check.