Kyle Schwarber is not slowing down. The Phillies left fielder hit his 29th home run of the season against the Mets, a three-run shot that reached the second deck at Citizens Bank Park during the bottom of the second inning.
The blast came one game after Schwarber hit three home runs in a single outing, making the back-to-back performance one of the more striking stretches any hitter has put together this season. He is MLB's home run leader.
The three-run shot went to the opposite field, which makes it harder to dismiss as a pull-side power display. Hitting a ball to the second deck the other way requires bat speed and contact quality. Schwarber delivered both.
For context on how rare a three-home-run game is: Pavin Smith had a three-homer game in 2024, going 4-for-4 with three RBI, and Mark Whiten hit four in a single game in 1993. Schwarber's three-homer game saw him go 1-for-2 with three runs and three RBI, with a plate appearance afterward where he had a shot at a fourth. The bases were not loaded for that final at-bat.
Schwarber entered this game as the league's home run leader and added to the gap with his 29th. At this pace, he is on track to finish among the top home run totals in the National League.
Philadelphia kept him last offseason when other moves drew criticism from the fan base. Signing Schwarber back was the front office's best call of that period. At 29 home runs and counting, with the season still running, he is producing at the level the Phillies need from their lineup anchor.
The Phillies are not a one-man show, but Schwarber's bat sets the tone. When the league's home run leader follows a three-homer game with a second-deck blast the next time out, the rest of the lineup gets easier at-bats. Pitchers have to come to him, and the Phillies are built to take advantage of that.
Schwarber has never been a finesse hitter. His value is volume damage—deep counts, big contact, walks mixed in. The opposite-field power in this game shows his swing is in a strong place right now, driving pitches to all parts of the park.
