Kyle Schwarber currently sits atop Major League Baseball in home runs for the 2026 season.
The Philadelphia Phillies’ designated hitter added to his total Tuesday night by blasting his 31st long ball of the year.
And of course, this one wasn’t exactly a cheap shot—his homers rarely are.
He also took the swing on a 3-0 count, which isn’t typically a situation where Schwarber is given the green light.
But that detail isn’t really the main story here.
What stands out is how this season fits into the broader arc of his time in Philadelphia. Schwarber is now in his fifth year with the Phillies, and if he continues at this pace, he’s on track to break the all-time record for most home runs hit by a player in his first five seasons with a single franchise.
That mark currently belongs to Babe Ruth, who clubbed 235 homers in his opening five years with the New York Yankees, per MLB.com‘s Sarah Langs.
In second place is Mark McGwire, who amassed 220 during his first five seasons as a Cardinal.
Schwarber, meanwhile, has now reached 218 home runs since joining the Phillies in 2022—and as long as he stays healthy, Ruth’s record appears to be within reach.
It’s remarkable that Ruth’s benchmark has endured for so many decades, and equally remarkable that Schwarber now finds himself on the verge of surpassing it. He is, without question, a truly exceptional power hitter.
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