Philadelphia Phillies Slugger Has Now Surpassed MLB Legend For June Supremacy

It's June, and all Philadelphia Phillies fans know what that means for one of their sluggers.

Jun 11, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park / Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies returned from their London series feeling good about what they have accomplished to date during this season.

They look like runaway favorites to win their division for the first time since 2011, owning the best record in the National League by a sizable margin.

But that is not what they are focused on.

This team's one goal is to win the World Series and host a parade down Broad Street.

To do that, they're going to need to get healthy with Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh currently sidelined with hamstring strains, and J.T. Realmuto now undergoing surgery on his knee, but they also need the players who are available to perform.

With the calendar turning to June, Phillies fans know what time it is.

Kyle Schwarber has owned this month throughout his career, and Philadelphia has been waiting for his patented "Schwarbombs" to start flying over the fence.

It was a slow start for the lefty slugger, having hit zero homers through the first seven games of June, sparking some concern that maybe his normal output wouldn't be coming.

He quieted those thoughts against the Boston Red Sox, blasting two to right center that traveled 444 and 427 feet.

With that familiar sight also came a bit of history.

Schwarber has now passed Babe Ruth for the most efficient home run hitter in the month of June, hitting a bomb in every 10.4 at-bats compared to the legend's 10.6.

His teammates have become accustomed to seeing his towering power occur from the lead off spot, something Phillies ace Zack Wheeler thinks has an impact on any pitcher they face.

"It's definitely a tone-setter for us when he goes up and does that. I think that's why he's hitting leadoff for us. I know, as a starter, if somebody leads off with a home run, it's kind of a dagger," he said according to Paul Casella of MLB.com.

Schwarber, and subsequently manager Rob Thomson, has often been criticized for being in the No. 1 spot of their lineup after he had a batting average of .218 in 2022 and an extremely low .197 last year, which sparked conversations if that was the right decision.

However, during the offseason, the veteran slugger shared he was putting in work to become a more efficient hitter when it comes to his average.

That work has paid off as he's hitting .240.

"For me, like I've always said, it's just putting in that work and being consistent and making some adjustments ... I feel like it's starting to feel better and better," he said.

His power certainly would come at a welcome time with Realmuto sidelined for the foreseeable future, but Thomson knows the types of guys he has in the clubhouse and thinks they'll maintain their high level of play until they get back their star catcher.

"Every time somebody goes down, somebody steps up. And I'm expecting the same thing this time," he said.

It took a little while for Schwarber to put balls over the fence during what seemingly is his favorite month to hit, but that could be changing soon.