Kyle Schwarber has a real chance to become the MLB playoffs home run king
Over parts of eight postseason runs, the Phillies slugger has demolished many homers, ranking him within the top five all-time.
In just three short seasons in Philadelphia, Kyle Schwarber has become a fan-favorite among the Philadelphia Phillies fans, made some special moments and memories, and of course, hit a lot of home runs.
The 31-year-old has smashed 142 total Schwarbombs in red pinstripes, 20 of those coming on the big stage during the MLB Playoffs. This leaves him tied for fourth all-time in postseason home runs behind legends such as Manny Ramirez, Jose Altuve, and Bernie Williams. The incredible part is the pace that Schwarber is on.
Kyle Schwarber has a real chance to become the MLB playoffs home run king
Each one of the players ahead (and even tied) with Schwarber has played in at least 39 more games with the most having 475 more plate appearances than him. While there is a huge gap between the athletes in terms of chances, the Phillies' designated hitter only trails the leader, Ramirez, by nine homers.
Player | G | PA | HR |
|---|---|---|---|
Manny Ramirez | 111 | 493 | 29 |
Jose Altuve | 105 | 484 | 27 |
Bernie Williams | 121 | 545 | 22 |
Derek Jeter | 158 | 734 | 20 |
Kyle Schwarber | 65 | 259 | 20 |
How likely is it that Schwarber will break the record in 2024? A lot of that depends on the overall success of the team.
The former Chicago Cub and Boston Red Sox has played in 18 different postseason series over eight years between 2015 and 2023. Over the course of those 18 series, Schwarber homered in 10 different series, five times hitting multiple dingers.
He is not only a great home run hitter but one of the best postseason slugging hitters of all time as well. When looking at players with over 250 plate appearances, the Phillies non-conventional leadoff hitter ranks fifth all-time in wRC+ at 149 and has the third-best slugging percentage at .557. The question will likely not be whether he is hitting or not, it is whether the ball is going over the fence.
Schwarber hits his home runs in bunches
The other thing to watch out for is the hot streaks that Schwarber can go on. Earlier in the year, Phillies fans saw the power hitter have three home run games multiple times, as well as several other two-homer games. When looking at the MLB playoff stats, it's no different. He hit five home runs in the NLCS last season, setting a record in the process, three in both the NLCS and World Series in 2022, and a couple of multi-home run series with the Cubs. Schwarber knows how to string them together.
Kyle Schwarber now has the most home runs in NLCS history with 11 ‼️
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) October 22, 2023
This was the furthest home run of the 2023 postseason.
3-0 Phils! pic.twitter.com/Xrk5wS2S4b
While it is unlikely that Schwarber will be able to eclipse the 30-home run mark this postseason, his pace gives him a very good chance in 2025 with a good postseason this year and another October berth for the Phillies next season. Hitting a home run every 12.95 at-bats, it would take about 130 plate appearances to reach the goal. In 2022, playing through four playoff rounds, he tallied 74 plate appearances and had just 57 across the Phillies' three series in 2023.
The Phillies expect a deep run into the postseason this October with, of course, a World Series championship in mind. With high hopes, one of the catalysts of their lineup has the opportunity to make history.
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