Phillies who are not: Kyle Schwarber
The left-handed power hitter, Kyle Schwarber, has been around the block once or twice. The veteran has been in the league for nine years and has made the playoffs eight times. He is a player who uses spring training to get himself right and surely doesn’t depend on statistics to get his mindset ready for the regular season.
That being said, Schwarber was not at his best this spring. In 14 games and 44 plate appearances, Schwarber slashed .132/.250/.158 for an OPS of .408. The most concerning part is that he had zero home runs which is much of the power hitter's identity. He drew six walks in those 13 games, which is nice to see, but he also struck out 20 times. If you were to ask him yourself, you can bet he'd wish he had a bit better of a spring at the plate.
Spring training struggles aren't new for Schwarber. Last year, in 29 plate appearances, the big lefty hit just one home run while striking out 12 times. We all know how his season turned out — lots of strikeouts but lots of home runs as well.
Now playing DH almost exclusively, Schwarber can focus solely on hitting in 2024. He is definitely not a player that any coach or fan should be concerned about when the spring training numbers aren’t ideal. He absolutely has the ability to turn the switch and will surely be blasting mammoth home runs again at Citizens Bank Park when the 2024 season kicks off.