Kyle Schwarber Is Having The Best Season Of His Career
Never underestimate a player in a contract season. Kyle Schwarber is in the final year of his deal. But the Phillies might end up regretting not extending him sooner. As…
TAMPA, FLORIDA – MAY 06: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run in the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field on May 06, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.
(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)Never underestimate a player in a contract season. Kyle Schwarber is in the final year of his deal. But the Phillies might end up regretting not extending him sooner. As good as Schwabrer has been in his time here, and he has been very good, 2025 is so far looking like the best season of his career.
Through 35 games, Schwaber is tied for 1st in Hrs with 12, is 8th in RBIs with 28, 12th in runs with 26, and is 4th in OPs with .999. Project his numbers over a full season, he would hit 56 HRs and somehow steal 14 bases. Meanwhile, he is getting on base 41% of the time.
Mind you, it is still early May. Schwarber is notorious for being a slow starter. The first 2 months are by far his worst statistically. In the first two months of the year, his career slg in the first two months is .433. Between June and October, it jumps up to .524. His production goes up by 19% in the final 4 months. Take that into account, and he is actually on track to hit 64 HRs.
His k rate is also down from past years. He always walked a ton, but now he is striking out only 21.2% of the time after doing so 28.55 of the time in 2024, and 29.95 of the time in 2023.
The Phillies probably wish they had already extended Kyle Schwarber at about this time. Because with every swing of the bat, he gets more and more expensive. The 32-year-old is making his case to break the back this fall. And with the Phillies' lack of power elsewhere in the lineup, they kind of have no choice but to pay it.
Schwarber is their best power bat since Ryan Howard. They might never see another player reach the heights Howard did over a 5-year period in the 2000s, but Schwarber is damn close. At this rate he might hit 180 HRs over a 4 year period. The most Mike Schmidt ever hit in any 4-year stretch was 159. Schwarber is 16 away from topping that number, and he still has about 127 games left this season.
Even if Schwarber only stays at this pace, and does not pick it up more in the Summer, he would beat Schmidt's mark by 28 HRs.
The point is, Kyle Schwarber has been very good in Philly. This year, he is somehow even better. It is great for what the Phillies want to accomplish this year, but it might cost them in the offseason.
