As a full-time designated hitter, Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber may not be the most naturally talented baseball player in the world. However, one thing he is exceptionally good at is hitting home runs.
Schwarber provided another reminder of that on Friday night, going 1-for-3 with a homer and two walks against the San Diego Padres. Schwarber's leadoff homer off Joe Musgrove in the top of the first gave the Phillies an early boost, helping spark them to a 9-3 victory.
Schwarber's solo shot was the first of five Philadelphia homers in the game, but it was important one nevertheless. It marked Schwarber's 100th long ball since joining the Phillies before the 2022 season.
The 31-year-old slugger needed only 342 games to reach that milestone, making him the second-fastest player to club 100 homers with the team behind only Ryan Howard (325 games).
Schwarber, whose homers are affectionately referred to as "Schwarbombs," is now in his third season with the Phillies. He signed a four-year, $79 million contract with Philadelphia during the 2021-22 offseason and has turned out to be a great signing so far.
Aided by the homer-friendly Citizens Bank Park, Schwarber has taken his power game to new heights with the Phillies. His previous career-high was 38 home runs before joining Philadelphia, but he immediately smashed that in his first season with the team, leading the National League with 46 dingers.
Schwarber followed it up with 47 long balls in 2023 along with his first career 100-RBI season. He now has seven homers in 27 games this year, putting him on pace for a third straight campaign with 40+ homers if he stays healthy and keeps implementing his recent adjustments.
A classic three-true-outcomes hitter, Schwarber walks and strikes out a lot. When he does make contact, however, the ball usually goes a long way.
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