The Philadelphia Phillies are going all in for the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. And now they’ve got two of their biggest bats in the Home Run Derby.
Kyle Schwarber made it official Friday. He’ll join Bryce Harper in the July 13 slugfest. That’s two of the most dangerous hitters in baseball swinging for the fences on their home turf.
Schwarber had been hinting at it for a while. The home-field advantage was too good to pass up. And honestly, who wouldn’t want to launch Schwarbombs in front of 40,000 screaming Philly fans?
The Phillies social team had some fun with it too, posting a clip with the caption: “There will be Schwarbombs bursting in air.” Hard to argue with that.
Harper won the Home Run Derby back in 2018 when he was with the Nationals. Schwarber finished second that same year while playing for the Cubs. So they’ve got history here.
What They’ve Done This Season
Harper is hitting .261 with 20 homers and 57 RBIs. Schwarber sits at .254 with 32 homers and 58 RBIs. Those are big numbers, but the story goes deeper.
Back in June, these two pulled off something nobody in MLB history had ever done. In a 15-3 win over the Mets, Harper hit for the cycle and Schwarber smashed three home runs in the same game. Same game. That’s not a stat you see every day.
Harper now has 383 career home runs. Schwarber has 372. And Schwarber is tied for third all-time in postseason homers with 23. Last year he hit 56 dingers, just four behind Cal Raleigh for the league lead.
Harper led the AL with 42 homers in 2015. So yeah, these guys know how to put on a show.
What This Means for the Derby
Having two Phillies in the field on their home field is going to make for an electric atmosphere. The crowd will be completely behind them. That energy could push either one deep into the bracket.
The Derby is set for July 13 at 8:00 pm EST. Expect some serious fireworks.
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