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As part of its Rivalry Weekend, Major League Baseball featured a game yesterday between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies, two teams from Pennsylvania.
Once again, it was the mighty Kyle Schwarber who stole the show in his team's 11-9 victory in 10 innings.
It's only mid-May, and the Phillies' designated hitter already has 20 home runs to his credit. If you asked me to describe the prototype of the ideal power hitter, I'd name Schwarber without a moment's hesitation.
Number 12 perfectly embodies the long-ball hitter. At 33, if he stays healthy, he could easily reach 500 career home runs. So far, the Ohio native has 360 to his credit. Before the start of this season, Schwarber signed a new five-year, $150 million contract with the Phillies, but he came very close to continuing his career in Cincinnati, wearing a Reds uniform.
Who wouldn't want a hitter of his caliber in their lineup? At this rate, he could reach a total of 60 home runs this season and thus break his personal best of 56 long balls set during the 2025 season. Schwarber had driven in 132 runs that year, another career high since joining the Chicago Cubs in 2015.
Yesterday, in the win over the Pirates, the power hitter launched his 19th and 20th home runs of the season, while driving in five runs for his team. So far, he has driven in 35 runs, ranking him fifth in the Majors.
Kyle Schwarber's second homer of the night is his 20th of the season! pic.twitter.com/fzpncNMgV0
— MLB (@MLB) May 16, 2026
Schwarber's offensive surge is unstoppable, as he holds a four-home-run lead over his closest competitor, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees—two formidable hitters.
Although the Phillies' season hasn't lived up to expectations so far—they're 22-23 since the start of the regular season—yesterday's win brings them closer to the .500 mark. Given the Atlanta Braves' performance so far—they have the best record in the Majors (31-14)—the Phillies will need to aim for the best second-place spot by the end of the season, and Kyle Schwarber will have a key role to play in his team's success if they hope to reach the playoffs once again.
It's been said for a few seasons now: with a core of aging players, the team's window of opportunity is getting narrower and narrower. By firing manager Rob Thomson a few weeks ago and handing the reins to Don Mattingly, the club sought to shake things up to give themselves a shot at winning again. So far, David Dombrowski's move has proven them right, as the team is winning with greater consistency.
By hitting home runs with such success, Kyle Schwarber is making himself indispensable to his team and feels right at home in his role.
The race for the most home runs promises to be exciting, and fans are in for a treat.
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