PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit four homers in one game last month that put the Philadelphia Phillies slugger on the precipice of 50 homers this season.
Then he waited. And waited some more.
Schwarber’s home run drought — as much as the designated hitter could really have one this year — spanned 10 games and 49 plate appearances as he chased the milestone.
He gave everyone in Philly on Tuesday night a 437-foot reminder of what a Schwarbomb looks like and what it sounds like with roaring chants of “MVP! MVP!” that tailed him around the bases.
Schwarber reached 50 homers in a season for the first time when he hit a three-run shot off reliever Justin Hagenman in the seventh inning of a 9-3 win over the New York Mets.
“I don’t know what to say about why have you hit so many homers or whatever it is,” Schwarber said. “It’s just the way it happens. It’s not like I go up there trying to do that. It just finds its way. It’s a cool thing.”
Schwarber joined 2008 World Series champion Ryan Howard as the only Phillies players to reach 50 homers in a season. Howard hit 58 in 2006.
Consider, Mike Schmidt topped out at 48 in 1980 en route to 548 homers during his Hall of Fame career.
Schwarber is the first player in big league history with a four-homer game and 50 homers in the same season. His power stalled after he became the 21st major leaguer and fourth Phillies player to hit four homers in a game on Aug. 28 against Atlanta.
“I went through a little bit of a rough patch,” Schwarber said. “I felt like over the last four or five days, I was having some really good, quality at-bats. Hitting some balls hard. There’s not anything you can do to worry about that.”
Schwarber’s homer hit just under the pitch clock in straightaway center field and gave the Phillies a 7-1 lead as he became the first National League player to reach 50 this season. Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh leads the majors with 53 homers.
The fan favorite came out of the dugout for a curtain call for a crowd roaring “MVP! MVP!” as “50 Schwarbombs” flashed on the big screen.
“I guess you can say, quote, unquote, take a deep breath,” Schwarber said. “But it’s not like I was worried about it.”
Thanks to his mammoth homers, the 32-year-old Schwarber has become arguably the most popular Phillies star since he signed a four-year, $79 million free-agent contract ahead of the 2022 season. Schwarber set his previous career high of 47 homers in 2023, one better than the 46 he hit in 2022.
The Phillies have made the playoffs all three years since Schwarber joined the team and are on pace to win their second straight NL East championship, holding a nine-game lead over the Mets with 17 to play.
“I feel like we’ve been playing great baseball and that’s what we have to keep doing to get to October,” Schwarber said.
Schwarber — who won All-Star Game MVP honors after he hit three homers in the game’s first-ever swing-off — can become a free agent again after the season and Phillies managing partner John Middleton has remained steadfast in his commitment to wanting Schwarber back.
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