Philadelphia Phillies Veteran Slugger Tabbed as Top Ten Hitter in MLB

The Philadelphia Phillies have one of the better offenses in baseball, led by their slugging designated hitter.

Apr 15, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) hits a single against the San Francisco Giants in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. All players wore #42 for Jackie Robinson Day. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to split a four-game series with the San Francisco Giants Thursday afternoon. Even with their two losses to begin the week, the Phillies are 10-8 and sit a game back in the National League East.

The biggest reason for their success this season has been their offense.

Philadelphia is 11th in batting average, 11th in OPS, second in walks drawn and they score 4.1 runs per game.

With Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and Trea Turner in the lineup, opposing teams have a tough challenge trying to keep the Phillies off the board.

However, there is one slugger at the top of their order that can impact the game in a big way.

MLB.com compiled a list of the top-10 hitters in the MLB this season. They took into account past performances, 2025 seasons stats and recent games. In the rankings, Kyle Schwarber came in at No. 6 after not being ranked to begin the year.

Schwarber has played in every game for Philadelphia to begin his 11th season in the big leagues. He has transitioned into being a full-time designated hitter, but he will still find himself in left field when the Phillies need it.

In his 18 games played in 2025, the left-handed hitter has slashed .266/.420/.594 with six home runs, 12 RBI, 15 walks and 15 runs scored. Additionally, Schwarber is in the 95th percentile in average exit velocity, the 97th percentile in hard-hit percentage, 95th percentile in bat speed and he very rarely chases out of the zone.

The power-hitting DH will have some swings and misses with strikeouts happening because of that. But when he makes contact it comes off the bat loud and there is always a chance it leaves the yard.

In his four years with the Phillies, the former first-round pick has led the league in home runs once, strikeouts twice and walks once.

The 32-year-old also has a season in which finished with a batting average under .200, but his OPS was still over .800 on the year. He is not a player that needs to hit for a high average, though. His ability to draw walks and hit for power make up for his lower batting averages.

Schwarber has been a healthy player at Citizens Bank Ballpark and a big part of the Phillies success in recent years. With his hot start to this season, the veteran DH is proving why he is truly a top-10 hitter in the MLB.