| Kyle Schwarber | |||||||||||||||
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 Schwarber with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022 | |||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia Phillies – No. 12 | |||||||||||||||
| Left fielder /Designated hitter | |||||||||||||||
| Born: (1993-03-05)March 5, 1993 (age 32) Middletown, Ohio, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| June 16, 2015, for the Chicago Cubs | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .231 | ||||||||||||||
| Hits | 1,050 | ||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 340 | ||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 784 | ||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Kyle Joseph Schwarber (born March 5, 1993) is an American professionalbaseballleft fielder anddesignated hitter for thePhiladelphia Phillies ofMajor League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for theChicago Cubs,Washington Nationals, andBoston Red Sox. Internationally, Schwarberrepresents the United States.
Schwarber playedcollege baseball for theIndiana Hoosiers and was a first-round selection in the2014 MLB draft by the Cubs, making his MLB debut with the Cubs the following year. He was a member of the Cubs’2016 championship team. In 2021, Schwarber signed with the Nationals and was traded to the Red Sox the same year, a year in which he made his firstAll-Star appearance. Schwarber signed with the Phillies in 2022.
Known for his powerful, hard-hit home runs and high walk rate in contrast to his lowbatting average, Schwarber led the National League in home runs during his 2022 debut season with the Phillies and played with the team during the2022 World Series, earning him his second All-Star appearance and firstSilver Slugger Award. Schwarber was again named an All-Star in 2025. He holds the record for mostNational League Championship Series home runs (11), the most postseason home runs by a left-handed batter (23), the most postseason leadoff home runs (5),[1][2] and has the distinction of being the only player to hit a home run in theLittle League World Series,World Series, andWorld Baseball Classic championship game.
On August 28, 2025, Schwarber became the 21st player in MLB history tohit four home runs in one game.
Schwarber attendedMiddletown High School inMiddletown, Ohio. During his four years, hebatted .408 with 18home runs and 103runs batted in (RBIs).[3] Schwarber was also a standout football player at Middletown, garnering Second Team All-Ohio Honors as a linebacker his senior year.[4]
Schwarber enrolled atIndiana University Bloomington to playcollege baseball for theIndiana Hoosiers. As a freshman in 2012, Schwarber was named a freshmanAll-American byLouisville Slugger andCollegiate Baseball Newspaper after hitting .300/.390/.513 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs. As a sophomore in 2013, he hit .366/.456/.647 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs in 61 games.[5][6] He was named a first-team All-American by theNational Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA)[7][8] After the season, Schwarber played for theUnited States collegiate national team during the summer.[9][10] As a junior, he batted .348/.456/.643 with 13 home runs. He was a finalist for theJohnny Bench Award.[11] He majored in recreational sports management.
In the 2012 college offseason, Schwarber played for theWareham Gatemen of theCape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). After winning the league championship with the Gatemen, Schwarber was awarded the playoff'smost valuable player award. In June 2019, it was announced that he would join theCCBL Hall of Fame class of 2019.[12]
Schwarber was drafted by theChicago Cubs in the first round, fourth overall, in the2014 Major League Baseball draft.[13] He signed on June 11.[14] Upon being drafted, MLB.com analyst Bernie Pleskoff profiled Schwarber as a "game-changing" power-hitter. However, Pleskoff was critical of his base-running and fielding skills, commenting, "Schwarber is sluggish on the bases and slow defensively."[15] ESPN'sKeith Law echoed a similar sentiment in his draft profile, noting, "Schwarber might have the most raw power of any prospect in the class."[16] Two pre-draft scouting reports by theMLB Scouting Bureau compared Schwarber's swinging mechanics to those ofJeff Bagwell, while also projecting him to play a role similar toMatt Stairs.[17]
He made his professional debut with theBoise Hawks three days later, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.[18] The Cubs then promoted him to theKane County Cougars of theClass AMidwest League and theDaytona Cubs of theClass A-AdvancedFlorida State League before the end of the season. In 72 total games between the three teams, heslashed .344/.428/.634 with 18 home runs, 53 RBI, and 18 doubles.
Schwarber began the 2015 season with theDouble-ATennessee Smokies of theSouthern League. In July 2015, he played in theAll-Star Futures Game, where he was named the MVP of the game after hitting a go-ahead two-run triple for Team USA.[19]
The Cubs promoted Schwarber to the major leagues on June 16, 2015, to serve as adesignated hitter for six games duringinterleague play.[20] Schwarber made his major league debut as a position player that night, replacing ejected starting catcherMiguel Montero in the eighth inning against theCleveland Indians at Wrigley Field.[21] The following night, as a designated hitter, he got four hits in five at bats with two RBI and six total bases after the Cubs and Indians both traveled to Cleveland.The Cubs sent Schwarber to theTriple-AIowa Cubs of thePacific Coast League after the six games.[22] On July 16, 2015, Schwarber was recalled from Triple A Iowa, to rejoin the Cubs due to an injury to catcher Montero.[23] On July 21, in a 5–4 extra-inning victory over theCincinnati Reds, Schwarber hit a game-tying two-run homer in the ninth inning and a solo go-ahead home run in the top of the 13th to give the Cubs the lead.[24] Over the course of the season he split time between catcher and outfield positions. He finished the 2015 regular season having played 69 games, recording a .246 batting average with 16 home runs, 52 runs scored, and 43 RBI in just 273 plate appearances.[25] In theNational League Wild Card Game, Schwarber drove in three runs and hit a long two-run home run to help the Cubs defeat thePittsburgh Pirates, 4–0, and advance to theDivision Series against theSt. Louis Cardinals.[26] In the NLDS, Schwarber helped the Cubs to a 3–1 series victory with two home runs, including a mammoth Game 4 homer that landed on top of the new Wrigley Field scoreboard in right field.[27] The ball was removed during the 2015–16 off-season to prevent theft but was encased inPlexiglas and returned "to where it landed".[28] In his eighth career postseason game, a 5–2 loss to theNew York Mets in Game 3 of the2015 National League Championship Series (NLCS), Schwarber set a Cubs record with his fifth career postseason home run and also the record for the most home runs in a single postseason by a player age 22 or younger, passingMiguel Cabrera.[29]
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Schwarber only played two games before he was involved in an outfield collision with teammateDexter Fowler on April 7, 2016, and was removed from the game with a left leg injury. Schwarber tore theanterior cruciate ligament andlateral collateral ligament in his left knee, and would miss the rest of the 2016 season.[30] Despite being injured, there were many trade rumors surrounding Schwarber during the season, especially regarding the Cubs' desire for a premium reliever.[31][32] Club presidentTheo Epstein addressed Schwarber's situation by saying it "wouldn't be right to trade him".[33] The Cubs eventually acquired closerAroldis Chapman from theNew York Yankees without having to give up Schwarber.[34] As the Cubs advanced further into the postseason, an unexpectedly fast recovery made the return of Schwarber increasingly more of a possibility. Schwarber participated in a successful on-field workout with the team atDodger Stadium before Game 3 of the2016 NLCS.[35] On October 22, Schwarber went to theArizona Fall League to play with theMesa Solar Sox, the same day the Cubs played in Game 6 of the NLCS.[36]
The Cubs added Schwarber to their roster for the2016 World Series, and started him in Game 1 as theirdesignated hitter.[37] Schwarber's addition to the Cubs' starting line-up was surprising given he had not played in a Major League game since his injury in April.[38] Schwarber hit a double off the right-field wall in the 4th inning of Game 1. He became the first major league position player in baseball history to get his first hit of the season during the World Series.[39] He was not medically cleared to play on defense, and only made appearances as a pinch or designated hitter.[40] Schwarber and the Cubs defeated the Indians in seven games to claim the Cubs' first World Series championship in 108 years.[41] During the World Series, Schwarber recorded seven hits, including one double, two RBI, and one stolen base while batting for a .412 batting average and maintaining a .500on-base percentage.[42]
Schwarber was the opening day starting left fielder and lead-off hitter during April and May for the2017 Chicago Cubs season. Schwarber started the first third of the year with one of the worst batting averages in all of baseball, hitting just .120 for the month of May. When he was demoted to Triple-A on June 22 he had 12 home runs and 28 RBI but his batting average was the lowest in baseball, he was averaging one strike out every three at-bats and was hitting just .143 against left-handers.[43] Schwarber returned to the Cubs active roster on July 6, after the All-Star break.[44] By August 12, he had hit safely in 10 of 13 games with five home runs, three doubles and a triple. He had struck out 106 times in 300 plate appearances. Schwarber hit .288 with a .954 OPS in 59 September at-bats, hit six homers to finish with 30, and raised his season average from .168 on July 6 to .211 by the end of the year.
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During the off-season Schwarber implemented a strict workout regimen and lost 30 pounds.[45] Schwarber hit 55 home runs during three stages of the2018 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby and finished second toWashington Nationals hometown heroBryce Harper in the final round, 19–18. For the season, he batted .238 with 26 home runs, 14 doubles, and 61 RBI.
In 2019, Schwarber batted .250/.339/.531 with 38 home runs and 92 RBI. He was thrown the highest percentage ofcurveballs of all major league batters (14.7%).[46] In 2019, on defense he led all National League left fielders in errors, with six, and had the lowestfielding percentage of all major league left fielders (.974).[47][48]
In 2020, Schwarber batted .188/.308/.393, and had the lowest batting average of all qualified NL batters.[49] On December 2, the Cubs non-tendered Schwarber.[50]
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On January 9, 2021, theWashington Nationals announced they had signed Schwarber to a one-year major league contract containing a mutual option for 2022.[51] After a slow start to the season, Schwarber went on a tear in June, hitting 16 home runs in an 18-game span from June 12 to 29. He had 5 multi-homer games during the stretch, including a 3-homer game against the New York Mets on June 20, and slashed .280/.362/.760. This was the most home runs hit in any month in the Nationals franchise history, and thesecond-most ever hit in June in Major League history. Schwarber andFrank Howard during the1968 Washington Senators season are the only two MLB players to hit 11 home runs in 9 games.[52] He was named the National LeaguePlayer of the Month for his efforts.[53] On July 3, he was added to theinjured list with a righthamstring strain.[54] Schwarber appeared in 72 games with the Nationals, batting .253 with 25 home runs and 53 RBIs.[49]
On July 29, 2021, Schwarber was traded to theBoston Red Sox in exchange for minor-league pitcher Aldo Ramirez.[55] He was activated from the injured list on August 13 and made his Red Sox debut that evening against theBaltimore Orioles.[56] In a change from his outfield role, the Red Sox had him learn first base, where he had mixed success defensively.[57] Through the end of the regular season, Schwarber played in 41 games for Boston, batting .291 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs.[49] He then played in 11 postseason games, batting 9-for-44 (.205) as the Red Sox advanced to theAmerican League Championship Series (ALCS).[49] In Game 3 of the ALCS, Schwarber hit agrand slam that was Boston's third in two games,[58] setting an MLB record for the most grand slams in a postseason series. However, he went hitless in the next three games as the Red Sox lost to the Astros in six games.[59] On November 5, he declined his half of a mutual option and became a free agent.[60]
On March 20, 2022, Schwarber agreed to join thePhiladelphia Phillies on a four-year, $79 million contract.[61]
On April 8, Schwarber hit a home run in his first at-bat as a Phillie in the team's 9-5 win on Opening Day against theOakland A's. Schwarber was awardedNL Player of the Month honors for June 2022, after batting .272 with 12 home runs (most of all MLB players in June), with anOPS of 1.064 and an OPS+ of 189 in 27 games. On September 16, 2022, Schwarber hit his 31st home run at theleadoff spot, breakingJimmy Rollins's Phillies franchise record for most home runs at that spot in thebatting order.[citation needed]
In 155 games in the regular season in 2022, Schwarber finished with a .218 batting average, 100 runs scored, an NL-leading 46 home runs, and 94 RBIs. He also struck out an MLB-leading 200 times. He had the highest fly-ball percentage of all major leaguers (51.1%).[62]
In the first game of theNational League Championship Series, Schwarber hit a 488 feet (149 m) home run atPetco Park, which was both the farthest hit ball ever tracked byStatCast at that stadium and by a Phillie.[63] Schwarber hit two more home runs in the series as the Phillies defeated thePadres in five games, reaching their first World Series since2009.
In the2022 World Series against theHouston Astros, Schwarber batted .250 with five hits and four RBIs in six games. He also had the most home runs of any player in the series with three, including a game-tying solo shot to lead off Game 5 off ofJustin Verlander and a go-ahead solo shot in Game 6 off ofFramber Valdez in the top of the sixth inning; however, the Phillies would lose both games and the series.
Schwarber is credited with introducing the song "Dancing on My Own” to the Phillies clubhouse, and the song was played after every Phillies win during their run to the2022 World Series.
Schwarber hit his 200th career home run on April 4, againstDomingo Germán of the New York Yankees.[64]
On September 4, 2023, Schwarber launched his 40th home run of the season in a 9–7 win against theSan Diego Padres. He became the fifth player in Phillies history to hit 40 home runs in consecutive seasons behindChuck Klein,Mike Schmidt,Jim Thome, andRyan Howard.[65] In 160 games, Schwarber finished with a .197 batting average, 47 home runs, 104 RBI, 126 walks, and struck out an MLB-leading 215 times. He had the most plate appearances (720) of any player in MLB history who has finished a season below theMendoza Line. His .197 batting average was also the lowest in MLB history for a player who hit at least 40 home runs in a season.
In the fourth inning of Game 4 of theNational League Championship Series against theDiamondbacks, Schwarber hit his 19th career postseason home run, breakingReggie Jackson's record for the most career postseason home runs by a left-handed batter in major league history.[66]
On August 7, Schwarber went 4-for-4, driving in seven runs and hitting three home runs, leading the Phillies to 9–4 win over theDodgers.[67] Less than a month later, on September 3, Schwarber would complete another 3-homer game, including a go-ahead three-run shot in the top of the 9th inning, to lead the Phillies to a 10–9 comeback win over theBlue Jays. Schwarber went 5-for-6 in the game, driving in six runs and becoming the first Phillies player to have two 3-homer games in the same season.[68] He also became the first Phillies player sinceMike Schmidt in 1976 to have five hits and three home runs in a game.[69] One week later, on September 10, Schwarber hit his 14th leadoff home run of the season, breaking the single-season record of 13 set byAlfonso Soriano in2003.[70]
On May 14, Schwarber snapped a 47-game on-base streak that began on September 23, 2024. It was the fourth-longest streak in Phillies history.[71]
Just 5 days later, on May 19, Schwarber became the 163rd player inMajor League history to hit 300 home runs. He accomplished this feat on a 466 ft. home run to right field againstRockies pitcherScott Alexander. He became the 11th active player to reach the 300-homer mark, and he's the sixth to hit No. 300 in a Phillies uniform, joiningBryce Harper,Ryan Howard,Mike Schmidt,Roy Sievers, andChuck Klein.[72]On June 11, Schwarber became the second player in Phillies history to hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break, joining Mike Schmidt in 1979.[73]
In theAll-Star Game, Schwarber participated in an All-Star Game tiebreaker swing-off in the event of a tie at 6–6 after 9 innings; he hit 3 home runs, leading the National League to win the All-Star Game tiebreaker over the American League 4–3. He was named theAll-Star Game Most Valuable Player.[74]
On July 25, Schwarber recorded his 1,000th career hit when he hit a two-run home run off Yankees pitcherWill Warren in the fifth inning. His 319 home runs are an MLB record for a player at the time of their 1,000th hit.[75] On July 29, Schwarber hit his 37th home run of the season when he hit a two-run homer off White Sox pitcherJonathan Cannon in the third inning. With that home run, Schwarber hit the most home runs by a Phillies hitter before August in Phillies franchise history.[76] On August 4, Schwarber became the first player in the National League to reach 40 home runs, including a grand slam in the sixth inning against theBaltimore Orioles. Due to his performance, Schwarber became the fastest player in Phillies history to reach the 40-homer plateau, doing so in the team's 112th game of the season.Ryan Howard, who hit a club-record 58 homers in 2006, hit his 40th in his 112th game that season—but it was the team's 114th.[77]
On August 28, Schwarber became the 21st player in MLB history tohit four home runs in one game in a 19–4 rout of theAtlanta Braves. He became the fourth Phillies player to accomplish the feat, joiningMike Schmidt (April 17, 1976),Chuck Klein (July 10, 1936), andEd Delahanty (July 13, 1896).[78] On September 2, Schwarber was named theNational League Player of the Week, co-winning withRafael Devers for the 23rd week of the season after going 6-for-28 (.214) and slugging 1.005 with four home runs and ten RBIs in that period.[79] On September 9, Schwarber hit his 50th home run of the season in a 9-3 victory over theNew York Mets. With that homer, Schwarber became just the second player in franchise history, joining Ryan Howard (58 HRs in 2006), and only the 34th player in MLB history to reach the milestone.[80] On September 23, Schwarber hit his 54th home run of the season against the Miami Marlins in the first inning. With that homer, he became the first Phillies player to hit 54+ homers and collect 130+ RBI in a season since Ryan Howard in 2009. It is also the 11th time in franchise history, and Schwarber is the 6th player to reach that mark.[81] On September 24, Schwarber hit his 55th home run off Marlins lefty pitcherRyan Weathers in the third inning. With that homer, Schwarber set a Major League record for most home runs hit by a left-handed hitter against a left-handed pitcher with 23 home runs in a single season.[82]
On December 6, 2022, theUnited States national baseball team announced that Schwarber had committed to play in the2023 World Baseball Classic.[83] During Team USA's first game of the tournament on March 11, 2023, againstGreat Britain, Schwarber hit a three-run home run to aid in a 6–1 victory.[84] He also homered offYu Darvish againstJapan in thefinal.
Schwarber is the son of Greg, a retiredpolice chief ofGerman andItalian descent, and Donna Cortez, a retired nurse ofPuerto Rican descent.[85][86]He has three sisters.[85] Kyle's uncle Thomas Schwarber played college baseball as apitcher atOhio State and played professionally in theDetroit Tigersminor league system for three seasons from 1991 to 1993.[87][88] Schwarber playedfootball as alinebacker in high school and also participated inMiddletown High School'sshow choir.[89] He grew up a Cincinnati Reds fan.[90] Schwarber chose "Schwarbs" as his nickname for thePlayers Weekend during the 2017 season.[91]
Schwarber and his wife, Paige, married in December 2019.[92] Their first son, Kade, was born in March 2022.[93] Their second son, Asher, was born in early 2024.[94]
In 2017, while with the Chicago Cubs, Schwarber launched "Schwarber's Neighborhood Heroes" to honor and give back to first responders,[95] and also hosted his first inaugural fundraiser, "Schwarber's Block Party", to help raise funds for first responders.[96] On August 23, 2019, Schwarber held his third annual block party, which was the last one he held in Chicago.[citation needed]
In 2023, Schwarber and his wife brought back the block party fundraiser, this time in Philadelphia, at Yards Brewing.[97]
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| Preceded by | National League Player of the Month June 2021 June 2022 | Succeeded by |
