No. 6: Kyle Schwarber
When the Phillies signed Kyle Schwarber back during the 2021-22 offseason, he was coming off his best season hitting-wise, posting a .266 batting average and .928 OPS split between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox. At just the young age of 28 at the time, Schwarber appeared to be hitting his prime with the right approach at the plate, making him a hot commodity.
The Phillies were fortunate enough to win the sweepstakes by signing him to a reasonable four-year, $79 million contract.
However, in his two seasons with the Phillies, he has developed into an Adam Dunn “three true outcomes” style of hitting, as almost half of his at-bats have ended in a walk, strikeout, or home run. As a result, one expects the Jekyll and Hyde experience with Schwarber every time he comes to the plate. He either delivers big time with a home run blast, or he disappoints in a huge way by snuffing out numerous rallies with an ill-advised whiff.
Schwarber still managed to set his seasonal career highs in runs scored with 108, home runs with 47, RBI with 104, and walks with 126 in 2023 with the Phillies. But at the same time, he also posted career lows with a .197 batting average and a whopping 215 strikeouts. Moreover, his atrocious defense has forced the Phillies to move him into a more permanent designated hitter role going forward to minimize inflicting self-damage on the field.
If Schwarber had been a more consistent and reliable hitter during his current tenure with the Phillies, he would certainly have been given a higher rank. But his unpredictability both on the field and at the plate has limited his overall impact on the ballclub to just sporadic flashes of brilliance.