Kyle Schwarber Reflects on Phillies’ Turnaround During 2026 Season
Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber believes the club is in a strong position heading into the All-Star break after overcoming a difficult start to the 2026 campaign.
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show before participating in Monday’s Home Run Derby, Schwarber acknowledged the team’s early struggles but praised the way the Phillies have responded.
“We feel pretty good about where we’re at,” Schwarber said. “Especially from where we started. We were 9-19 to start the year off. A lot of adversity kind of happened. They let (manager Rob Thomson) go, then we turned it around and put ourselves in a really good position. I think we’re only a couple games out of the division lead.”
After opening the season with a disappointing 9-19 record, Philadelphia has mounted an impressive comeback and enters the All-Star break just two games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves in the National League East.
The turnaround has coincided with a managerial change. Following Rob Thomson’s departure, interim manager Don Mattingly has helped guide the Phillies back into playoff contention with a much-improved stretch of baseball.
Schwarber has been one of the driving forces behind the resurgence. The veteran designated hitter continues to produce at an elite level and has once again emerged as one of the National League’s top offensive performers.
Through the first half of the season, Schwarber is batting .254 with a .367 on-base percentage and a .560 slugging percentage, good for a .927 OPS. He also leads the National League with 32 home runs.
While Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is widely viewed as the favorite for the National League MVP Award thanks to his impact as both a hitter and pitcher, Schwarber has built a résumé that could once again place him among the league’s top vote-getters. After finishing second in NL MVP voting last season, the Phillies slugger appears poised to remain firmly in the conversation in 2026.
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