Phillies Slugger Named Team MVP After Elite First Half of Season

The Philadelphia Phillies' season has been up and down so far, but despite this, the team remains in first place in the National League East.

With high expectations entering the year once again, the Phillies have approached it in an interesting way so far, but they have shown that they can be one of the best teams in the league.

Philadelphia, for the most part, has been carried by its starting rotation so far. This was a unit that was arguably the most talented in the league coming into the 2025 campaign, but it has been some surprise contributors that have helped elevate the unit.

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Pitchers like Taijuan Walker and Mick Abel have done a nice job filling in for injured starters, and Jesus Luzardo has flashed some All-Star caliber upside.

With one of the best records in the league, the team has a lot of players who have been important to their success. However, one player has been key.

Who Has Been the Phillies MVP?

Todd Zolecki of MLB.com recently wrote about the team MVP for the Phillies being star slugger Kyle Schwarber.

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“A case could certainly be made for Zack Wheeler, who once again finds himself squarely in the Cy Young mix this season. That said, the Phillies’ rotation has been their biggest strength overall, while the offensive load has largely fallen to Schwarber.”

While it may be Zach Wheeler and the rotation leading the way for the Philadelphia so far this year, Schwarber has been their best offensive player.

This is, unfortunately, a lineup that needs some help before the trade deadline, and it’s hard to imagine where they would be without Schwarber. The slugger is having a fantastic campaign so far, slashing .250/.384/.532 with 25 home runs and 57 RBI in 85 games.

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Since Bryce Harper has been out for most of June, the play of Schwarber in the batting order has been key for the Phillies being able to survive this stretch.

Even though Schwarber had an amazing first half of the season, it is clear that he needs help in the batting order. While the return of Harper will solve a lot of problems, this is still a batting order that is very top-heavy.

As an impending free agent at the end of the year, the success of Schwarber this campaign should help him land a very lucrative deal. He is arguably having a career year at the plate, and he is certainly deserving of being the team MVP in the first half.

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