Kyle Schwarber’s monster night puts an exclamation on what could be a career year

The Philadelphia Phillies are showing signs of life once again. They had not won a series since July 11 against none other than the Los Angeles Dodgers in Philadelphia. The NL East leaders replicated that series victory on Wednesday, only this time at Dodger Stadium

The series win was more than just a shift in momentum. The Phillies hold the head-to-head record over the Dodgers which could have major postseason implications. The victory on Wednesday night also highlighted what has been a dominant season for one of the lineup's top sluggers.

Kyle Schwarber’s monster night puts an exclamation on what could be a career year

Leading the Phillies in their most recent victory was leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber. The designated hitter went 4-for-4 with three home runs and seven RBI. The three home run performance was just the second of Schwarber's power-filled career.

While the monster night for the Phillies' slugger was exciting to watch, it is just a part of what has been a dominant season for Schwarber. In terms of OPS, the left-handed power hitter has only had one better season. In 2021 in Washington and Boston, Schwarber posted a .928 OPS in 113 games.

Through 103 games thus far in 2024, the Phillies' leadoff man has a .894 OPS. While his home run total (27) may be down a bit, his other numbers have been the best that they have been since signing with the Phillies.

His .261 batting average is second to only his 2021 season. Schwarber has also cut back on his strikeouts. Last season, his strikeout percentage was 29.9 percent. To this point in the season, Schwarber has cut that back to 27.4 percent.

This was something that Schwarber wanted to improve upon heading into this year. MLB.com's Todd Zolecki wrote that Rob Thomson was impressed with his leadoff hitter's new approach this season.

"Just the fact that he wanted to cut down on his strikeouts this year, I think cleared up all of that,” Thomson said, per Zolecki. "Because now he’s staying on the ball, he’s cut down his swing with two strikes so there’s a little bit of a two-strike approach there. The average goes up because he’s putting the ball in play more. The on-base goes up because he’s getting more hits. It all works hand in hand, but the fact that he’s done this at this part of his career is really smart. It shows me how much he cares and how much he can adjust.”

With 48 games to go, the Phillies will rely on Schwarber to set the tone. He leads all table setters with 72 RBI on the season. He is one of the sluggers that this lineup relies on to power this star-studded offense.

Performances like the one Schwarber had on Wednesday night are rare, but that doesn't mean his production this season is going unnoticed. If he can continue posting numbers that are up there with the best of his career, he can help carry this team to a deep postseason run.