The Phillies are sending a heavyweight duo to the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby, and Kyle Schwarber’s setup man might end up being just as important as the swings themselves.
Bryce Harper was first to commit, making the derby for the third time in his career. He even floated a bold idea for the event, suggesting players use metal bats once they get to the gold balls.
Not long after, Schwarber jumped in too. With 32 home runs to lead MLB in the first half of the season, the Phillies designated hitter was an obvious fit for a showcase built around raw power. This will be his third derby appearance, and he’s chasing his first title.
The man tasked with feeding him pitches is Phillies assistant hitting coach Rafael Pena, the same person who throws live batting practice to Schwarber during regular work. Schwarber made it clear he trusts that partnership.
"I love hitting off him," Schwarber said, via Buster Olney of ESPN. "You know, we do a lot of challenges in the cage work -- stuff where I'm working on hard stuff, sliders, changeups. But we also do regular batting practice, and I've always kind of found that he and I match up well together."
That kind of chemistry matters in the derby. The hitter gets the spotlight, but the pitcher has to be precise too, putting the ball in the sweet spot while still throwing strikes. Schwarber believes Pena gives him exactly that.
He’ll also have the advantage of performing in front of Phillies fans, a boost Harper had in 2018 when he beat Schwarber, then with the Chicago Cubs, at Nationals Park while playing for the Washington Nationals.
Schwarber has been through this before. He lost 19-18 to Harper in that final eight years ago, then came back in 2022 as the No. 1 seed at Dodger Stadium and was bounced in the first round by Albert Pujols.
This time, the format is different. Each player gets 20 swings in the first round, and the four home run leaders move on to the second round, where they’re seeded 1 through 4 for head-to-head matchups with 15 swings apiece.
Schwarber has already shown he can handle that kind of pressure. At the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, he went 3-for-3 in the swing-off and won MVP honors.
"Especially when I first signed there, I wasn't the perfect player out in the field," Schwarber said last week. "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."
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