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If the season ended today, Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber would finish in a four-way tie for the MLB lead in home runs with 35.
This is the sixth time in the four-time All-Star's career that he's surpassed the 35-homer mark.
He may be the most feared Phillies hitter, but has he been the best version of himself? ESPN's Jesse Rogers says no.
"Has Schwarber been the best version of himself this year? Probably not, yet he's still hitting around .250 and is tied for the league lead in homers. But he's on pace to break his single-season high in K's (215) as he might reach 200 before the end of the month," Rogers wrote.
Schwarber has struck out 176 times in 516 trips to the plate, suitable for a 34.1% punchout rate. His swing-and-miss tendency has likely led to fewer runs crossing the plate for the Phillies.
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"That has been the big difference for him this season: His strikeout rate is the highest of his career by a country mile. That doesn't mean he hasn't been effective," Rogers added. "It just means he probably has left some RBI chances on the bases."
Even if that's true, the Phillies are a much better offense with Schwarber than without him. This season could be his second straight year with 50 or more homers after he connected for 56 in 2025.
If Philadelphia makes a deep postseason run, Schwarber's power will be a significant reason why. Cutting down on the strikeouts will increase their World Series hopes.
More MLB news:
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- Red Sox get 8.2% chance to win World Series, which is more than Yankees’ odds
- Dave Dombrowski reveals why Phillies didn't trade for a righty-hitting outfielder
- Brewers ‘toyed’ with idea of trading for Padres closer Mason Miller
- Tigers feared Tarik Skubal’s trade market would disappear if they waited too long to trade him
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