Schwarber achieved a new career high in walks, totaling 126, just three short of tying the Phillies franchise record set by Lenny Dykstra in 1993. This surpassed Schwarber’s previous career high of 86 walks in 2022, and his walk percentage of 17.5% ranked second in the Majors, trailing only Juan Soto’s 18.6%.
Kyle Schwarber’s 10 longest home runs as a Philadelphia Phillie pic.twitter.com/h6qC04JeVh
— John Foley (@2008Philz) September 19, 2023
During the postseason, Schwarber initially struggled but came alive in the NLCS, hitting five home runs and bringing his total postseason home runs with the Phillies to 11. This tied him with Jayson Werth and teammate Bryce Harper for the most in Phillies history, achieved in just 30 games compared to Werth’s 40.
tired: June Schwarber
wired: July Schwarber#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/9XPNoxDelk
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 18, 2023
However, there were downsides. Schwarber set a league record with 215 strikeouts, surpassing his previous franchise record of 200 set in 2022. This ranked as the fifth-highest strikeout total in a single season in MLB history, falling just eight strikeouts behind the record set by Mark Reynolds in 2009.
His batting average of .197 was the lowest among all 134 MLB hitters qualifying for the batting title, and his .209 BABIP was second worst. Defensively, Schwarber faced significant challenges, with his -21 defensive runs saved, -20.4 defensive WAR, and -19 outs above average ranking as the worst among all position players with at least 100 games played in the field.
In the critical Games 6 and 7 of the NLCS, Schwarber struggled, finishing the series 1-6 with three walks and three strikeouts, despite showing moments of promise.
Looking ahead, Schwarber, with two years and $40 million remaining on his four-year, $79 million deal, is expected to remain with the Phillies, entering his age 31 season in 2024. Despite his challenges, Schwarber remains one of the Phillies’ best hitters, providing consistent power and leadership.
Final Kyle Schwarber home run to single ratio for the 2023 regular season:
47 home runs
48 singles pic.twitter.com/zOyZSuyRvt— Joe Edinger (@Joe_Edinger) October 2, 2023
However, his defensive limitations confine him to the designated hitter role, impacting the team’s roster flexibility. The balancing act between Schwarber’s home runs, strikeouts, and walks will continue to define his contributions to the team.
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