Kyle Schwarber shares heartwarming appreciation for Phillies' fans ahead of Home Run Derby

The Philadelphia Phillies re-signed Kyle Schwarber to a five-year, $150 million contract this past offseason, and that's looked like a fantastic decision so far.

Schwarber is the Phillies' best hitter and has an MLB-leading 32 homers at the All-Star break. And he's participating in the Home Run Derby taking place in Philadelphia this summer.

As Buster Olney of ESPN shared, ahead of his Derby participation in Philadelphia, Schwarber shared some heartwarming appreciation for Phillies fans for accepting the kind of player that he is.

Kyle Schwarber shares appreciation for Phillies' fans for accepting his playstyle

"Especially when I first signed there, I wasn't the perfect player out in the field," Schwarber said. "I wasn't the guy who's going to go make every catch, diving play, whatever it is. But I think they know that there's a lot of effort, they know how I prepare and how I want to play the game."

Schwarber is beloved in Philadelphia, as the Phillies fanbase has grown to love their left-handed-hitting slugger ever since he joined the team during free agency ahead of the 2022 season.

He's been in Philadelphia during this recent postseason stretch and has been a key reason why the Phillies are always in contention.

And if he wasn't beloved by the fanbase, his decision to re-sign with the Phillies over the offseason, despite significant pull from his hometown Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles, made him even more loved in Philadelphia.

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This season, Schwarber has 32 homers, a .254 batting average, 59 RBIs, and a .927 OPS. He might have 144 strikeouts, the most in baseball, and be well on his way to breaking the record, but Phillies fans appreciate him for who he is.

Schwarber is a designated hitter who can change a game in an instant with his elite power, and solid discipline to draw walks.

While he's going to strike out a lot, the Phillies fan base knows well and good that it's a trade-off to have one of the game's best power hitters on the roster.

Schwarber is appreciative of the Phillies fans for accepting him the way they have, as it wouldn't be strange for fans to complain about Schwarber's baserunning, strikeouts, or defensive ability.

But, with all the positives Schwarber brings to the Phillies, both on the field and off it, he's become one of the most beloved Phillies players not just on the roster right now, but maybe in franchise history.

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