Philadelphia Phillies

Kyle Schwarber

The hometown slugger who led off the All-Star Game

Kyle Schwarber spent the first half doing what he does better than almost anyone: hitting the ball a very long way, very often. As the Phillies' full-time designated hitter and lead-off force, he gave Philadelphia one of the most feared lineups in the game.

He led the team with 32 home runs and a .560 slugging percentage, pairing that power with the plate discipline that keeps his on-base number well above average — the three-true-outcomes profile taken to its peak. His ability to start a game with a home run reshapes how opponents have to pitch to the entire order.

Because the Phillies hosted the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, Schwarber got the moment the season was building toward: named the National League's starting lead-off hitter in front of his home crowd, in place of an injured Shohei Ohtani. He'd pushed Jordan Walker to the final swings of the Home Run Derby the night before, finishing runner-up 12–11. For a hometown slugger, it was as good a week as the schedule could have written.