Over the past two weeks, the Philadelphia Phillies have shown signs of life after Don Mattingly was named interim manager, replacing Rob Thomson. Thomson was dismissed 28 games into the season with a disappointing 9-19 record. The move has proven wise, as the team’s performance is finally improving. While an easier schedule has helped, given how poorly the Phillies played under Thomson, no opponent could be taken lightly.
Several players have raised their game since the coaching change, most notably designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. His power has returned, helping him achieve a feat that, in recent years, only New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge had accomplished. Schwarber hit two home runs in the series finale against the Colorado Rockies, bringing his season total to 16 through 41 games. He now ties Judge for the most home runs in MLB this year.
Kyle Schwarber matches a power milestone recently set only by Aaron Judge
With this performance, Schwarber becomes the only player other than Judge over the last five seasons to hit 16 or more home runs in his first 41 games. Judge previously did so in 2022. Schwarber is on a tear, homering in four straight games for a total of five long balls during that stretch.
Since the managerial change, Schwarber has been red-hot at the plate. In 13 games and 59 plate appearances, he’s slashing .288/.373/.750 with seven homers and three doubles. A classic three-outcome hitter, he’s struck out 19 times (32.2% strikeout rate) while also drawing seven walks (11.9% walk rate).
Judge isn’t the only New York legend Schwarber has echoed during this scorching run. His home run on April 30 in the first game of a doubleheader against the San Francisco Giants was the 350th of his career, reaching that mark faster than Babe Ruth did. In the second game, he homered again and added two doubles, going 4-for-4. That performance marked the most productive single day at the plate for any player since Lou Gehrig dominated a doubleheader for the Yankees in 1935.
This hot streak has helped boost Schwarber’s early-season numbers, which had been lagging, and now they more closely resemble the level of production the Phillies have come to expect from him.
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