He’s only been with the team for 2 years, but Kyle Schwarber is climbing up the ladder of Philadelphia Phillies and Major League Baseball legends.
The home run hitting, swagger-bringing basher of baseballs has been an incredible leader for the Phillies, on the field and in the clubhouse.
Just like last postseason, Schwarber had a quiet Wild Card and NLDS series. Just like last postseason, Schwarber homered in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
This year, almost everyone saw it coming when Schwarber sent the first pitch he saw from Zac Gallen into the right field bleachers. Even the TBS broadcast knew Schwarber was swinging at the first pitch and very likely to crush it a long way. His home run electrified the already loud Citizens Bank Park and was the first punch in a 5-3 opening game win over the Diamondbacks.
The following game, Schwarber lined a homerun over the right field wall off of Merrill Kelly for his second homer of the postseason and his second in as many games.
Surprisingly, Schwarber made history for himself when he demolished another Kelly pitch into the right center field seats for his first ever multi-home run game in the playoffs. Schwarber became the fourth Phillies batter to have a multi-home run game in October.
In Game 3, Schwarber and the Phillies bats were quiet in a 2-1 loss. But in Game 4, Schwarber made history again, passing Reggie Jackson for most League Championship Series home runs by a left-handed hitter with his 19th.
The Schwarbombs kept on coming when Kyle gave the Phillies a 3-0 lead in what seemed like a do-or-die Game 5 in Arizona. Schwarber’s 20th ever postseason homer put him tied at 4th for most ever playoff home runs in the long history of the MLB.
Schwarber’s 11 NLCS home runs are now an MLB record. Schwarber has also hit 11 postseason homers for the Phillies so far in these last two seasons and is now in a three-way tie with Jayson Werth and current teammate Bryce Harper for the most playoff home runs in franchise history.
The unbelievable accolades keep racking up for Schwarber, but all that is on his mind is what he can do in the Phillies bid for their third ever World Series championship. While he said it’s cool to be included in these home run statistics with baseball legends, he is focused on the here and now.
“This is all about winning baseball games,” Schwarber said after Saturday’s Game 5 victory. “And trying to win a baseball game right now, that’s all I’m focused on. And we were able to do that tonight on a great effort by everyone.”
The way Schwarber performs in big moments is monumental for the Phillies and their World Series hopes. His mentoring and leadership have been a huge factor in the team’s success.
Schwarber will continue to help pave the path to greatness for the Phillies. He’s been one of the most pivotal acquisitions for the Phillies ever and has been worth every penny and then some.
