If aliens were to come to planet Earth and ask to see what a baseball player looked like, I would show them Kyle Schwarber.
Schwarbs is by no means the best player in the game today but his performance on the field perfectly highlights what today’s game values. He gets on base at an extremely high clip, smashes home runs, and well, strikes out a lot.
The Phillies’ left field is the very definition of the modern three-outcome player, but his prowess highlights why this model is successful.
On Wednesday afternoon, Kyle Schwarber belted his 10th leadoff home run to start a game this season. He passed Jimmy Rollins for the most in a single season by a Phillie and has a chance to add to that lead in the remaindered of the 2023 season.
Unique Player
Kyle Schwarber was the perfect addition to the Phillies last off-season. Not only is he a great player, but a leader in the Phillies’ clubhouse.
His ability to set the tone was one of the reasons the Phils were able to get over the hump and into the playoffs in 2022. I would even credit his playoff resume as a strong reference point for helping guide a very inexperienced Phillies team to the World Series.
He has tremendous power, which his 87 regular season home runs as a Phillie has shown. Schwarber also has a great eye at the plate and has worked over 100 walks this year and nearly 200 as a Phillie in just two seasons.
His defense is less than you may hope for, but Kyle Schwarber has played left field to the best of his abilities as a Phil. The club would obviously like to DH their slugger, but the injuries to Bryce Harper in the past year or so has made that challenging.
While he doesn’t excel in left field, he goes out there and does his job for the most part. He hasn’t once complained about it and will take it on the chin when he makes a mistake.
Passing a Legend
Anytime you can be compared to Jimmy Rollins, it’s a good thing.
J-Roll was the anchor at the top of the Phillies lineup for nearly two decades and provided stability at the position.
Kyle Schwarber has provided that same stability in his own way. The Phillies win far more often than not when Kyle leads off, and his home run potential puts the starting pitcher in a bind immediately to start a game.
Schwarber’s 10 home runs to lead off a game is a crazy impressive mark, and to have double digits in this area is very impressive. While all 10 are obviously solo shots, I think everyone would agree that starting the game with a lead is good enough.
The veteran has smacked 41 home runs in total this season and for the most part each one had a significant impact on the game.
Kyle Schwarber in just two short years has made his mark on the Philadelphia Phillies. Assuming we get another couple good years in the last two years of his deal, I think it is safe to say Kyle Schwarber is on his way to the Phillies Wall of Fame one day.
He may not have started his career in Philly, but I would love to see Kyle finish his career in Phillies’ pinstripes.
Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire
