Kyle Schwarber has found a home in Philadelphia, and the feeling appears to be mutual.
Ahead of his Home Run Derby appearance in Philadelphia this summer, the Phillies slugger opened up about the way the fan base has embraced him, even with the parts of his game that have never fit the traditional mold. As Buster Olney of ESPN shared, Schwarber said the support has meant a lot to him.
"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."
That kind of honesty fits Schwarber, and it also fits the way Phillies fans have come to view him since he arrived in free agency before the 2022 season. He’s been a central piece of the club’s recent postseason runs, and his return on a five-year, $150 million deal this past offseason only deepened the connection.
The numbers explain why the Phillies were eager to keep him. Schwarber enters the break with an MLB-leading 32 homers, along with a .254 batting average, 59 RBIs and a .927 OPS.
He also has 144 strikeouts, the most in baseball, but that has never been the whole story with him. Philadelphia knows exactly what it’s getting: a designated hitter with massive power, enough discipline to draw walks, and the ability to flip a game with one swing.
There are obvious trade-offs with Schwarber’s profile. He’s going to strike out plenty, and he’s not going to win anyone over with highlight-reel defense or baserunning.
But in Philadelphia, that hasn’t turned into criticism so much as acceptance. The fan base has embraced the full package, flaws and all.
And with the way he produces, both on the field and in the clubhouse atmosphere around him, Schwarber has become one of the most popular Phillies around - maybe even one of the most beloved players in franchise history.
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Phillies Fans Got The Schwarber Harper Derby Showdown They Wanted
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Schwarber worked through a slow start before finishing with 10 home runs, while Harper put together some loud contact of his own but came up just short of the mark he needed to keep moving. The result sent Schwarber on to the next round and ended Harpers night early, adding another layer to a derby pairing that already carried some history for Phillies fans to remember. [Read more 🡒]