Indiana baseball legend Kyle Schwarber continues to shine at the Major League level. Entering his age 33 season, Schwarber remains one of the best power hitters in all of baseball and is coming off a career year in which he led the National League with 56 home runs.
Dan Orlovsky runs out the back of the end zone with wildest Fernando Mendoza take yet
During the offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies re-signed Schwarber to a 5-year, $150 million contract that keeps him in the City of Brotherly Love through the 2030 season. Schwarber has clobbered 187 home runs over his four seasons with the Phillies, and figures to be a main part of Philadelphia's chase for another World Series title.
Opening Day is here, and the latest 2026 projections for Schwarber have him primed for another monster season.
Kyle Schwarber poised to mash plenty of home runs again in 2026
Earlier this week, MLB.com's Manny Randhawa shared the lofty expectations that 57 MLB.com staff members expect from Scwarber.
Specifically, the MLB.com staff believes that Schwarber will finish with the second-most home runs in the National League this season. Given that he led the NL with 56 homers last season, Schwarber could be poised to break the 50-homer mark again.
"Schwarber is second on the list of most NL homers since 2021, with 219. He belted a career-high 56 last year, including four in one game against the Braves. The hulking left-handed slugger homered once every 10.8 at-bats last season, more frequently than anyone in the NL and behind only Raleigh and Judge in MLB."Manny Randhawa
The same MLB.com projects that Schwarber will trail only Shohei Ohtani in home runs in the NL. That doesn't come as a huge surprise, as he is coming off a 55 home run season of his own and has belted 109 homers in his two seasons with the Dodgers.
Schwarber can chase history this season
If Schwarber is able to put together another 40+ home run and 100+ RBI season, he will be worth every penny of his new contract. If he improves on his 56-homer, 132 RBI season from a year ago, he is a bonafide MVP candidate.
Furthermore, a 60-home run season would put Schwarber in rarified air in MLB history. The former Hoosier enters the new campaign with 340 career home runs to his name, putting him 60 shy of the 400 home run club. Only 59 players are in that exclusive club, and it's not outside the realm of possibility that Schwarber contends to join this season.
A 5-year, $150 million deal is fairly rare for a designated hitter, but Schwarber has proven time and time again that he is among the most dangerous power hitters in the sport.
The Phillies may be approaching the end of their World Series window, and it's clear that they want Schwarber to be a key part of their lineup as they pursue their first title since 2008. Hoosier fans have plenty of confidence in his ability to deliver in a big way.