Schwarber and the Phillies: A Common Future?
Kyle Schwarber’s hits, from Philadelphia to the All-Star Game, often end in spectacular home runs. The Phillies aren’t ready to say goodbye to their star yet, as Schwarber’s four-year, $79 million contract expires at the end of the season. Fresh off winning the All-Star Game MVP award, after hitting three home runs in the first swing-off of the game, Schwarber’s situation for 2026, when Philadelphia will host the game, remains a pressing need for the Phillies.In the All-Star Game in Atlanta on Tuesday night, he hit home runs in his three at-bats, falling on his left knee in the last one, to give the National League a 4-3 victory in the swing-off after a 6-6 tie after nine innings. Schwarber enters the second half of the season with 30 home runs and 69 RBIs for the Phillies, leaders of the National League East Division. Schwarber led the National League with 46 home runs in his first season with the Phillies and followed up with 47 in 2023 and 38 last year. Often batting from the leadoff spot until this season, Schwarber drove in 104 runs in each of the last two seasons.We love him. We want to keep him.
John Middleton, Phillies managing partner
Schwarber, 32, could get much more than the $79 million he signed before the 2022 season. Schwarber won a World Series with the Cubs in 2016. He also played in Washington and Boston, but seems to have found a home in Philadelphia, where his huge home runs, nicknamed “Schwarbombs”, have made him arguably the most popular star on the Phillies. Schwarber said during the All-Star break that he wanted to keep the focus on helping the Phillies win their first World Series since 2008. «We had conversations in the spring and, obviously, they didn’t progress,» he said. «We just put them aside and wanted to focus on the season. Obviously, there’s interest on my part. I know there will be interest on their part at the end of the year. We’ll see where that takes us. If that’s us reaching an agreement, that’s us reaching an agreement.»We don’t need any motivation at all when it comes to Kyle Schwarber. He’s great. We thought he was great when we signed him years ago. We thought he was consistently great over the years. There’s nothing Kyle does that surprises us. No matter how great he is, we expect that from Kyle. He’s a great person in the dugout. He’s a great person in the clubhouse.
John Middleton, Phillies managing partner
