Kyle Schwarber is forcing his way back into the NL MVP conversation.
The Phillies’ surge has changed the tone around the club, and Schwarber sits right in the middle of it. Philadelphia spent part of the first half digging out of a hole - at one point it was 9-19 and 10 games under .500 - but now the team is 10 games over and looking like the contender plenty of people expected from the start.
That turnaround has plenty of moving parts, but the roster’s star power has been a major reason. Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler have been among the best arms in the starting rotation, while Bryce Harper, Brandon Marsh, and Schwarber have carried a heavy load in the lineup. Of that group, Schwarber has been the one making the loudest individual statement.
Awards talk starts heating up once the season hits the midway point, and the NL MVP race is no exception. Last year, Shohei Ohtani took home the honor after another historic season, with Schwarber finishing as the runner-up. The Phillies slugger would have been a strong MVP case in most seasons, but Ohtani’s level made that a tough climb.
Schwarber still put together a monster 2025 campaign, hitting .240/.365/.563 with 56 home runs and 132 RBI. Those numbers were big enough to keep him near the top of the race, even if he didn’t finish with the trophy.
Now he’s back at it. Through 81 games, Schwarber is slashing .253/.368/.586 with 30 home runs and 55 RBI, putting him on pace for another huge offensive season. The competition for NL MVP will be stiff again, and Ohtani remains the mountain to climb, but Schwarber’s power numbers are loud enough to keep him in the mix.
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