Kyle Schwarber smashed two home runs in Phillies' win to reach 20 on the season earlier than any player in MLB history.
The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates handily on Friday in an 11-9 victory in ten innings, and it came in the midst of a hot streak for Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber hit two two-run homers as well as drew a bases-loaded walk in their ninth inning push back, bringing his season total up to 20 in his 2026 campaign. It’s all part of a broader resurgence under new manager Don Mattingly, as the franchise is 13-4 since he took over to replace Rob Thomson. They now sit just one game back from .500 with a 22-23 record.
Not only did Schwarber reach 20 homers, but he did it on the earliest date in MLB history, according to Stats Perform. It breaks a record set by Arizona Diamondbacks’ Luiz Gonzales, who notched his 20th homer on May 17, 2001. It also ties a franchise record of 20 homers in the team’s first 45 games set by Cy Williams in 1923.
Schwarber has hit nine of them over the last eight games, which is the second time in his career he accomplished that feat.
To read more about the major accomplishment and the surging club, here is the full story from Phillies Roundtable writer Tommy Wild.
Schwarber helped build their lead with homers in the fifth and seventh, and the team’s run from a six-run deficit speaks to their growing resilience under Mattingly and their momentum trending upward. To Schwarber’s credit, he was less focused on individual accolades and more on the team’s execution and results.