After smashing three straight long balls in the All-Star Game Swing-Off and winning game MVP in the process, Schwarber came out of the break Friday night and immediately clubbed his 31st home run of the season. Schwarber is now tied for the second-most homers in the NL with Eugenio Suárez and only trails Shohei Ohtani by one. 'The Big Piece' happened to witness Kyle's latest shot in person - he was promoting the All-Star Game coming to Philly next summer - and showed his approval for the club's current slugger.
Former Phillies Slugger Ryan Howard Shows Approval Towards Kyle Schwarber's Home Run Surge originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Kyle Schwarber's week just keeps getting better. After smashing three straight long balls in the All-Star Game Swing-Off and winning game MVP in the process, Schwarber came out of the break Friday night and immediately clubbed his 31st home run of the season.
Schwarber is now tied for the second-most homers in the NL with Eugenio Suárez and only trails Shohei Ohtani by one. He's on pace to have the most by a Phillie since Ryan Howard launched a franchise-record 58 during his 2006 MVP season.
'The Big Piece' happened to witness Kyle's latest shot in person - he was promoting the All-Star Game coming to Philly next summer - and showed his approval for the club's current slugger.
"It'd be awesome for the fans," Howard told MLB.com's Paul Casella. "That would be great for them to see another guy be able to get 50 home runs. And I know for Kyle, that would be an amazing accomplishment."
Few Phillies players had as impactful a run as Howard did during his prime. He led all of MLB in RBI three times in four years, also winning the home run crown twice.
Yet Schwarber has managed to bring his own considerable power since signing with the Phillies in 2022. To this point, he has home run totals of 46, 47, 38, and so far 31 in his four-year deal. He's also eclipsed 100 runs scored, RBI, and walks in back-to-back seasons, with the possibility of doing so again in 2025.
His power is especially important this year, when most of the Phillies lineup has seemingly lost their 'swing for the fences' approach. And at the pace he's going, it's sure to net him a nice new contract in a few months.
Dave Dombrowski has repeatedly stated that they'd like to keep Schwarber beyond this season, but even so, Schwarber's campaign for the Phillies' history books could end up being his last with them.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
