Phillies legend gives “go-getter” Kyle Schwarber his stamp of approval

Shane Victorino is thrilled that the Phillies signed Kyle Schwarber

Philadelphia Phillies fans loved the Shane Victorino era.

Now, according to the man himself, they’re going to love the team’s newest slugger, Kyle Schwarber, too.

Victorino was integral to the Phillies’ five consecutive division titles from 2007-11, their only back-to-back pennants in franchise history, and their second World Series championship in 2008. He went on to help Boston win the 2013 World Series, and like Schwarber, hit a massive grand slam in a Red Sox ALCS game.

So when news broke on Wednesday that the Phillies had agreed to a four-year deal with Kyle Schwarber, it made sense to ask Victorino to weigh in on the signing. Spoiler alert: he’s thrilled:

“Just raw power? Shoot, I put him up there with anyone,” Victorino said by phone Wednesday. “When Kyle wants to go up there and just try to hit the ball 500 feet, I mean, it’s bound to happen. He has that kind of thump. He’s up there, for sure. Yeah, 100%… he’s the kind of guy that would fit that energy, give you that thump, and get the stadium on its feet. This is one of those moves where you go, ‘I think he’s going to fit in.’ I think it’s a great fit.”“He’s a veteran; he’s a world champ. He knows how to lead and how to be in those scenarios when the [stuff’s] hitting the fan and how to navigate through it. The way he plays and the kind of guy he is, I think he’s going to fit in pretty well there.”

Victorino also praised Schwarber for how hard he works:

“That’s what stood out to me about Kyle was the work ethic. I felt like he was actually a great athlete. And learning about him and asking guys about him, they said he was a great athlete.”

In Schwarber, the Phillies get a hard-hitting DH with more postseason experience than most of the roster put together. Jean Segura and J.T. Realmuto are the active leaders in career games played without a postseason appearance; Schwarber has 35 postseason games on his resumé, and since his debut season in 2015, has played in every postseason except 2019. He hit a home run in every series of the Red Sox’ postseason run last fall: the Wild Card game against the Yankees, ALDS against the Rays, and ALCS against the Astros.

The Phillies haven’t clinched a postseason berth since the Victorino era. Hopefully, the Schwarber era changes that.