Philadelphia Phillies' power-hitter Kyle Schwarber inched closer to two Phillies' legends Wednesday when he became the third fastest in franchise history to hit 34 home runs in a season.
Phillies' Kyle Schwarber Inches Closer to Passing Legends in Team History originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox had quite an exciting three-game series this week as the Phillies took two out of three from the Red Sox. The first game featured a walk-off via a catcher's interference call. Phillies' pitcher Christopher Sanchez threw a 12-strikeout complete game in the second game of the series, and the Red Sox avoided the sweep on Wednesday with a 9-8 win in extra innings.
Amid the chaos of the series, the Phillies had a pair of hitters who etched themselves into some baseball history on Wednesday. Two of Philadelphia's five home runs in the 9-8 loss came in the first inning via Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
For Harper, it was his 350th career home run, and it was Schwarber's 34th home run of the season, good for third in the National League. Schwarber became the third-fastest Phillies player in team history to accomplish the feat.
Through just 102 games, Schwarber's 34th home run trailed just Mike Schmidt and Ryan Howard for the most home runs to this point in a season in the Phillies' franchise history.
Kyle Schwarber's 34 HR are the 3rd-most through 102 games in Phillies franchise history, behind only Ryan Howard in 2006 and Mike Schmidt in 1979 -- both had 36.
— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) July 23, 2025
That's pretty elite company for Schwarber to put himself in. Schmidt and Howard are some of the greatest Phillies' players of all time. They both spent their entire careers in Philadelphia and won a World Series with the Phillies, Schmidt playing for 18 years and Howard playing for 13 years.
Schmidt was a 12-time All-Star for the Phillies, winning the MVP award three times, and earning 10 Gold Gloves and six Silver Sluggers. The Phillies' 1980 World Series MVP was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.
Howard won the Rookie of the Year award and an MVP award along with his three All-Star trips, Silver Slugger award, and Home Run Derby championship. The Phillies' 2008 World Series champion won the NLCS MVP award that year.
Schwarber has only been in Philadelphia for four years, but has made his presence felt and become a fan favorite. The 2016 World Series champion with the Chicago Cubs has made two All-Star games with the Phillies, earned a Silver Slugger award, and won the All-Star game MVP this year.
At the 102-game mark, Schwarber is two home runs behind the Phillies' legends. Schmidt finished the season with 45 home runs in 1979, and Howard finished the 2006 season with 58. The Phillies have a day off before they begin a weekend series with the New York Yankees.
Howard hit his 37th and 38th home runs in the 103rd and 105th games of the season. Schmidt didn't hit his 37th home run until the 107th game, when he hit No. 37 and No. 38 in back-to-back games.
Schwarber could pass Schmidt in the Phillies' single-season home run pace with three home runs over the next four games, but he'd have hit four home runs this weekend just to tie Howard's 2006 pace.
Regardless, Schwarber has had an incredible 2025 season for the Phillies, adding a respectable batting average to his elite power. The Phillies' power hitter is a free agent at the end of the season, so Philadelphia fans may need to enjoy the special run Schwarber is on while it lasts.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
