All-Star Phillies Slugger Proves More Powerful Than Most MLB Teams

The Philadelphia Phillies have a home run hitter that is one of the most powerful in baseball and more powerful than most teams.

A Philadelphia Phillies cap and glove sit in the dugout during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

There are many good reasons the Philadelphia Phillies made designated hitter Kyle Schwarber a priority in free agency.

One of the best power hitters in baseball and beloved by Phillies fans, he recently signed a five-year, $150 million deal that will keep him with the team through the 2030 season. As confirmation of his own affection for the city, he received the same exact offer from the Baltimore Orioles and turned it down.

He’s known for the long ball. He hit a National League-leading 56 home runs last year, including a game with four home runs that surreptitiously happened while he was filming a cameo for ABC’s “Abbott Elementary.” It should be to no one’s surprise that he hit the Phillies’ longest home run of 2025, per MLB.com and Statcast.

Kyle Schwarber’s Longest Home Run of Season

Schwarber hit his “Schwarbomb” on Sept. 24 against Miami, as he sent a 468-foot home run into the second deck in right field in Citizens Bank Park. Philly was already up 6-1 when he hit the solo shot in the seventh inning.

What’s incredible is that, per MLB.com, Schwarber did something that 25 MLB teams did not do in 2025. He hit five home runs of 450 feet or more during the season. Of the other 29 MLB teams, 25 of them either matched it or were unable to exceed Schwarber’s total with their entire team. Yes, he had an incredible season.

Keeping him was a big priority for the Phillies and his body of work speaks to why.

In four years with the Phillies, Schwarber has slashed .226/.349/.507. He also hit 187 home runs and 434 RBI. He hit more than 40 home runs in three other seasons. He drove in 100 or more RBI three straight years, including an MLB-leading 132 in 2025. He’s been an All-Star twice, won an NL Silver Slugger and finished second in NL MVP voting after the 2025 season.

He struck out a lot, 809 times in four seasons. But he’s the rare slugger that can draw walks, too, with 426 in his time with Philly. He’s had three straight 100-walk seasons. He’s good enough to be a leadoff hitter, a clean-up hitter or a bottom-of-the-order hitter. It’s a rare quality.

He’s also one of the game’s biggest winners. In his 11 Major League seasons he’s been the playoffs 10 times. The only time he missed the postseason was in 2019 with the Chicago Cubs. He won a World Series with the Cubs in 2016.

He joined the Phillies in 2022. After Philadelphia reached the World Series in 2022, losing to the Houston Astros, the Phillies have reached the playoffs each of the last three seasons. But the Phillies haven’t won the pennant.