Kyle Schwarber will hit the most home runs in MLB
If there's one thing Kyle Schwarber does well, it's hit home runs. This year, he'll lead the majors in home runs.
Say what you will about his batting average and strikeouts, the third-year Phillie knows how to park the long ball. Not only does he hit a lot of them, he also hits them a long way. Last season, Schwarber had three of the Phillies' five longest-hit homers, the longest measuring 483 feet.
After hitting 153 home runs in his first seven MLB seasons, the lefty masher has 93 over his two seasons in red pinstripes — he hit 47 last year and 46 in 2022. His 47 in 2023 saw him finish second in the majors behind Matt Olson's 54. His 46 the year before was eclipsed only by Aaron Judge's historic 62-home run campaign.
Preseason projections predict the 31-year-old will hit anywhere from 39 (ZiPS DC) to 42 (Steamer, THE BAT X). In every projection, Aaron Judge is the presumed home run king this season, but he's already dealing with spring training ailments and has a spotty health record.
By all accounts, Schwarber's wonky knee is fully healthy heading into the season — he has even spent time in the outfield this spring. While he has struggled at the plate in Grapefruit League action and hasn't hit a home run yet, getting back to the homer-friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park will be a nice change of scenery (The Bank has a 117 Statcast Park Factor for home runs from the left side of the plate).
Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, as it were. However, this is the year that Schwarber tops the league in round-trippers and helps power the Phillies offense to the postseason.