Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber is already on track to challenge Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire
Because the Philadelphia Phillies have had a disappointing start, collectively, to the 2026 season, it’s easy to miss what Kyle Schwarber is doing.
Schwarber, even in his early 30s, has taken his offensive game to the next level. In 2025, Schwarber hit 56 home runs, a new career high. Through the first 46 games of the 2026 season, he may be on his way to a more impressive and historic number.
Amazingly, Schwarber has hit 20 home runs in his first 46 games. With 162 games, that would put him on target for 70 home runs in 2026.
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber celebrates hitting a seventh inning hit against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 22, 2025. (Photos by Ron Chenoy/Imagn)
Where does that stick historically? Only two players in MLB history have hit 70 or more home runs in a season, Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire. What else do these two players have in common? Both were linked to performance-enhancing drugs. And in fact, the players who fill the single-season home run leaderboard are the most concentrated in that span.
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- Bonds 73
- McGwire 70
- Sammy Sosa 66
- McGwire 65
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Until you get to Aaron Judge’s incredible 62 home run season in 2022, Bonds, McGwire and Sosa. Could Schwarber challenge for the 70 home run mark and in doing so, become the first to reach that number without some sort of PED connection? Even looking at other historical comparisons, Schwarber’s 2026 was impressive.
Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber is cheered in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies in Philadelphia on May 10, 2026. (Laurence Kesterson/AP)
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When Judge hit 62 in 2022, he hit 20 home runs on June 3. Bonds hit 20 on May 19th the year he hit 73. Schwarber reached 20 on May 15th. His latest came in the Phillies’ win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
He has more home runs since May 7 than 22 teams. He has more total bases in the first inning this year than the entire San Diego Padres offense. It’s surprising.
If you look at the details behind his season, there is reason to be optimistic and reason to be skeptical. Schwarber’s earned run average so far is 23.6, by far, the highest of his career. The more you hit the ball in the air, the more home runs you have. But it’s not just that you hit it high; he hits it high with authority. Schwarber’s career rate of the barrel is 16.6%. This year? It is 26.2%. Making that elite level of communication, in the air, is a recipe for success.
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Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning at Fenway Park in Boston, Mass., on May 14, 2026. (Photos by Eric Canha/Imagn)
That said, his expected stats aren’t that great. His actual slugging percentage, .642, is 50 points higher than his “expected” slugging percentage, which is .592. Still elite, but it points to a certain level of luck with his results. Same with his run/fly ball rate, at 33.9%. Last year, 28.6% of the fly balls he hit turned into homers, and that 5+ percent increase may not happen.
Still, this is an amazing start to the season. And if Schwarber continues this trend, it will be history again.
