Kyle Schwarber has been the Philadelphia Phillies’ home run king for each of the past three seasons. Most of his home runs have come as the leadoff man in the lineup, including 16 last year as the first batter of a game.
The perceived downside of scoring a run on one swing is that it’s only one run. How much more damage could Schwarber do in the heart of the Phillies’ lineup? It’s a question that’s been asked a lot over the past two years since Philly signed shortstop Trea Turner to prioritize getting on base. Turner has typically hit in the two spot.
In that time, Schwarber’s opinion hasn’t changed one bit.
“Like I’ve said before, I’m just a player,” Schwarber said during MLB Network’s 30 Clubs in 15 Days. “Wherever my name is gonna get written in that lineup, I’m gonna do it to the best of my abilities. If that’s leadoff, four-hole, two, nine, whatever, I’m gonna go out there and freaking do what I need to do to help the team win.”
What’s often overlooked in this discussion is Schwarber’s high on-base percentage-his .366 mark last year was the second-highest of his career. He walked over 100 times for the second season in a row, a big reason why he scored 110 runs in addition to his 104 RBIs.
“You don’t realize how hard it is to drive in a hundred runs and to be able to score a hundred runs,” Schwarber said. “Those are some very tough things to do. When we have a lineup like ours, where you look at the depth in it, you see the way that even the bottom of the lineup is able to produce and get on base.”
“Pitching has kind of evolved and you have to be able to keep evolving with it.”@kschwarb12 breaks down adjustments he’s making at the plate to continue his power production at the top of the @Phillies lineup. #MLBTonightpic.twitter.com/ay6lsxpatM
"Pitching has kind of evolved and you have to be able to keep evolving with it."@kschwarb12 breaks down adjustments he's making at the plate to continue his power production at the top of the @Phillies lineup. #MLBTonight pic.twitter.com/ay6lsxpatM
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 4, 2025
The Phillies have had Schwarber bat first, second, and fourth in the lineup this spring, with the most at-bats in the leadoff spot so far. Star first baseman Bryce Harper has stated he’d prefer to remain third in the lineup, and Turner is sure to stay ahead of him by at least one spot.
Ultimately, it’ll be up to manager Rob Thomson to decide what the lineup looks like by Opening Day, March 27, in Washington, D.C.
