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PHILADELPHIA — For many power hitters, aging often brings a decline in their swing.
For Kyle Schwarber, it has brought the exact opposite: improvement.
Since joining the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022 as a free agent, Schwarber has refined his swing and produced some of the best numbers of his career, cementing his place among baseball's premier power threats.
"I hope so," Schwarber told USA TODAY Sports on Monday at Citizens Bank Park ahead of the MLB Home Run Derby when asked if he’s beating Father Time with his swing.
So what’s been the key to success for Schwarber, who was non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs after the 2020 season before reviving his career with the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, and ultimately finding sustained success in Philadelphia?
He mentioned adapting his swing as baseball continues to adapt itself as a game, as well as trying to "stay the same guy every year" by sticking to his routines, which begins with hitting off the tee.
"Being able to address different things and feeling that if you can look at your season from top to bottom at the end of the year and try to address things that you need to get better at and not just be okay with it," Schwarber said. "... The game's changed from 2015 when I first came in to where it's at now."
Schwarber has hit 219 homers in five seasons with Philadelphia, second only to Aaron Judge's 227 during that span. He sits 16 shy of Babe Ruth's MLB record for most home runs in a player's first five seasons with a team, with only Mark McGwire's 220 with the St. Louis Cardinals in between Schwarber and Ruth.
"You can go back 20 years, you can go back to Babe Ruth, what he is doing now is unbelievable," former Phillies shortstop and manager Larry Bowa told USA TODAY Sports back in May.
To further underscore Schwarber’s dominance with the Phillies, he hit just 153 homers across his first seven MLB seasons. He’s already launched 66 more in less time in Philadelphia, as he has reached at least 45 home runs in three of his four seasons.
"Think it helps to take the glove away from him and all he has to do is carry his bat. We joke with him about that a lot," Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper joked Monday about Schwarber’s transition from the team’s left fielder in 2022 to a full-time designated hitter in recent seasons.
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly didn’t necessarily agree with Harper’s assessment and the notion being an everyday DH has made hitting easier for him.
"You still have to be able to hit,” Mattingly said on Monday. "DHs are better, it seems, when they get older because now they know they're swinging, they know what they do, they know how to get ready."
Schwarber credits that success to working with Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long, who helped revitalize his career in Washington in 2021, and the assistant coaches he’s had at both stops.
"They do such a great job of making sure that I just stay with what I need to do and keep me on track," said Schwarber, who added that Long and his staff have also helped him avoid wanting to "go reach" and make mechanical changes during inevitable slumps.
Schwarber crushed left-handed pitching and fastballs last season. He hit 23 home runs against southpaws in 2025, which were the most in a single season by a left-handed hitter against left-handed pitching in MLB history. So far this season, Schwarber has hit 11 home runs against southpaws.
He finished with a career-high and National League-leading 56 home runs in 2025, which was two shy of tying Ryan Howard’s record for the single most home runs in a season among Phillies hitters.
The former Indiana Hoosier is already on pace to outplay the five-year, $150 million contract he received from the Phillies in free agency this offseason — and has done so at a historic rate.
"Glad we didn't let him walk after last year because he is one of the best power bats in the game," Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola told USA TODAY Sports in May. "... When he comes up, you know you could possibly see something special, which has been a privilege to see over the years since he came over here in 2022."
Catalyzed by a stretch during which he hit nine home runs in eight games, Schwarber reached 20 home runs in the Phillies' first 45 games, making him the first player since 2006 to reach that feat — and only the 10th in MLB history. That stretch had him on pace for 72 homers.
He has 32 home runs at the All-Star break, which leads the majors. He hit the 30 home run mark in just 80 games, which set a new franchise record as he did it two games quicker than when Jim Thome reached the mark in 2004.
"It's almost indescribable to do what he's doing. They can throw balls down in the middle, you still have to hit him. He's one of those power hitters that might strike out three times, and the fourth time he's hit one in the upper deck,” Bowa said.
"He's that prolific of a home run hitter."
Another key statistic in Schwarber’s success has been his ability to barrel baseballs, a statistical metric for batted balls with an optimal combination of exit velocity and launch angle on Baseball Savant.
His barrel rate last season was a career-best 20.8% barrel rate, just the second time he’s exceeded 20% in a season, according to MLB.com. He’s at 19.6% this season, which is good for the 98th percentile amongst MLB hitters.
While the Phillies certainly appreciate the homers that Schwarber provides, Mattingly said he values Schwarber’s team-first approach at the plate. Schwarber recorded a team-leading 59 RBIs in the first half to go along with a .254 batting average, which is third best on the team. He is tied for third with Harper for hits with 89.
"What I really like is that Schwarbs is really all about the team and us winning, and I think when you stay in that mode of doing something to help your team win," Mattingly told USA TODAY Sports last month in a separate interview. "From a leadership position guy, that's huge because then everybody's in that mode."
Schwarber nearly made more history on Monday in the MLB Home Run Derby, as he came one home run short of becoming the fourth player to win the event in his home ballpark, eventually losing to the Cardinals' Jordan Walker.
He’ll now look to lead the National League to a second straight All-Star Game win on Tuesday, July 14 at 8 p.m. ET at The Bank, where he’ll be hitting leadoff after moving into the lineup following Shohei Ohtani’s scratch from the lineup.
"It's an honor to be here," Schwarber said. "It's definitely an honor for it to be here in Philadelphia to represent your organization and to go out there and throw on this great spectacle."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Kyle Schwarber beating Father Time with his evolving power swing? 'I hope so'
Continue reading...
For Kyle Schwarber, it has brought the exact opposite: improvement.
Since joining the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022 as a free agent, Schwarber has refined his swing and produced some of the best numbers of his career, cementing his place among baseball's premier power threats.
"I hope so," Schwarber told USA TODAY Sports on Monday at Citizens Bank Park ahead of the MLB Home Run Derby when asked if he’s beating Father Time with his swing.
So what’s been the key to success for Schwarber, who was non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs after the 2020 season before reviving his career with the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, and ultimately finding sustained success in Philadelphia?
He mentioned adapting his swing as baseball continues to adapt itself as a game, as well as trying to "stay the same guy every year" by sticking to his routines, which begins with hitting off the tee.
"Being able to address different things and feeling that if you can look at your season from top to bottom at the end of the year and try to address things that you need to get better at and not just be okay with it," Schwarber said. "... The game's changed from 2015 when I first came in to where it's at now."
Schwarber has hit 219 homers in five seasons with Philadelphia, second only to Aaron Judge's 227 during that span. He sits 16 shy of Babe Ruth's MLB record for most home runs in a player's first five seasons with a team, with only Mark McGwire's 220 with the St. Louis Cardinals in between Schwarber and Ruth.
"You can go back 20 years, you can go back to Babe Ruth, what he is doing now is unbelievable," former Phillies shortstop and manager Larry Bowa told USA TODAY Sports back in May.
To further underscore Schwarber’s dominance with the Phillies, he hit just 153 homers across his first seven MLB seasons. He’s already launched 66 more in less time in Philadelphia, as he has reached at least 45 home runs in three of his four seasons.
"Think it helps to take the glove away from him and all he has to do is carry his bat. We joke with him about that a lot," Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper joked Monday about Schwarber’s transition from the team’s left fielder in 2022 to a full-time designated hitter in recent seasons.
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly didn’t necessarily agree with Harper’s assessment and the notion being an everyday DH has made hitting easier for him.
"You still have to be able to hit,” Mattingly said on Monday. "DHs are better, it seems, when they get older because now they know they're swinging, they know what they do, they know how to get ready."
Schwarber credits that success to working with Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long, who helped revitalize his career in Washington in 2021, and the assistant coaches he’s had at both stops.
"They do such a great job of making sure that I just stay with what I need to do and keep me on track," said Schwarber, who added that Long and his staff have also helped him avoid wanting to "go reach" and make mechanical changes during inevitable slumps.
Schwarber crushed left-handed pitching and fastballs last season. He hit 23 home runs against southpaws in 2025, which were the most in a single season by a left-handed hitter against left-handed pitching in MLB history. So far this season, Schwarber has hit 11 home runs against southpaws.
He finished with a career-high and National League-leading 56 home runs in 2025, which was two shy of tying Ryan Howard’s record for the single most home runs in a season among Phillies hitters.
The former Indiana Hoosier is already on pace to outplay the five-year, $150 million contract he received from the Phillies in free agency this offseason — and has done so at a historic rate.
"Glad we didn't let him walk after last year because he is one of the best power bats in the game," Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola told USA TODAY Sports in May. "... When he comes up, you know you could possibly see something special, which has been a privilege to see over the years since he came over here in 2022."
Catalyzed by a stretch during which he hit nine home runs in eight games, Schwarber reached 20 home runs in the Phillies' first 45 games, making him the first player since 2006 to reach that feat — and only the 10th in MLB history. That stretch had him on pace for 72 homers.
He has 32 home runs at the All-Star break, which leads the majors. He hit the 30 home run mark in just 80 games, which set a new franchise record as he did it two games quicker than when Jim Thome reached the mark in 2004.
"It's almost indescribable to do what he's doing. They can throw balls down in the middle, you still have to hit him. He's one of those power hitters that might strike out three times, and the fourth time he's hit one in the upper deck,” Bowa said.
"He's that prolific of a home run hitter."
Another key statistic in Schwarber’s success has been his ability to barrel baseballs, a statistical metric for batted balls with an optimal combination of exit velocity and launch angle on Baseball Savant.
His barrel rate last season was a career-best 20.8% barrel rate, just the second time he’s exceeded 20% in a season, according to MLB.com. He’s at 19.6% this season, which is good for the 98th percentile amongst MLB hitters.
While the Phillies certainly appreciate the homers that Schwarber provides, Mattingly said he values Schwarber’s team-first approach at the plate. Schwarber recorded a team-leading 59 RBIs in the first half to go along with a .254 batting average, which is third best on the team. He is tied for third with Harper for hits with 89.
"What I really like is that Schwarbs is really all about the team and us winning, and I think when you stay in that mode of doing something to help your team win," Mattingly told USA TODAY Sports last month in a separate interview. "From a leadership position guy, that's huge because then everybody's in that mode."
Schwarber nearly made more history on Monday in the MLB Home Run Derby, as he came one home run short of becoming the fourth player to win the event in his home ballpark, eventually losing to the Cardinals' Jordan Walker.
He’ll now look to lead the National League to a second straight All-Star Game win on Tuesday, July 14 at 8 p.m. ET at The Bank, where he’ll be hitting leadoff after moving into the lineup following Shohei Ohtani’s scratch from the lineup.
"It's an honor to be here," Schwarber said. "It's definitely an honor for it to be here in Philadelphia to represent your organization and to go out there and throw on this great spectacle."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Kyle Schwarber beating Father Time with his evolving power swing? 'I hope so'
Continue reading...
