Surprisingly, Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber batted only .197 and struck out 215 times in 160 regular season games this year. Those are numbers you won’t typically associate with power hitters. But when he hits the ball, chances are it’s going out of the park.
He had 47 home runs during the regular season, one more than his total last year. But that’s only a front act to his fantastic postseason. More importantly, he’s helping the Phillies clinch another World Series with every swing of his bat.
Kyle Schwarber is blasting pitches to the moon
Well, short of the moon, but you get the idea. Schwarber had a solo homer to right-center field in the top of the sixth inning. It wasn’t just any other home run because it traveled 461 feet from home plate at 114.1 miles per hour.
MLB stats expert Sarah Langs pointed out that Kyle Schwarber’s rocket shot is the fifth-longest home run in postseason history under Statcast. It’s even more impressive that he has two of the top five.
Kyle Schwarber’s 461 ft HR is the 5th-longest postseason HR under Statcast
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 22, 2023
he's the only player with 2 of that top 5
Aside from knocking in one of the Phillies’ six runs in Game 5 of the 2023 National League Championship Series, Schwarber etched his name into the MLB history books with 11 NLCS home runs. He surpassed the great Albert Pujols for most home runs in NLCS history.
Kyle Schwarber's October legacy continues to grow. #NLCS pic.twitter.com/GR7blx3Vz2
— MLB (@MLB) October 22, 2023
For those keeping track, he had two homers in the 2015 NLCS for the Chicago Cubs. He had one NLCS homer for the Cubs two years later. Schwarber added three more for the Phillies last year. That blast against Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen was his fifth home run in the 2023 NLCS.
But for a more significant achievement, Kyle Schwarber became only the fifth batter in MLB history with at least 20 postseason home runs. That list includes Derek Jeter (20), Bernie Williams (22), Jose Altuve (26), and Manny Ramirez (29).
Most career home runs in #Postseason history (1903-):
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) October 22, 2023
29- Manny Ramirez
26- Jose Altuve
22- Bernie Williams
20- @Phillies Kyle Schwarber (Via his solo blast in tonight's 6-1 #NLCS Game 5 win vs ARI)
20- Derek Jeter
19- Albert Pujols
19- George Springer
18- Five other players tied pic.twitter.com/Sox1MMEejF
More importantly, the Phillies are one win away from their second consecutive World Series berth. But the job isn’t done, as the Diamondbacks remain a worthy foe. Therefore, having more of Schwarber’s homers can help them clinch the National League pennant.