Kyle Schwarber continues to make history in the 2024 MLB season. On Wednesday afternoon, the Philadelphia Phillies slugger hit his 13th leadoff home run of the year, tying Alfonso Soriano’s single-season record set in 2003 with the New York Yankees.
Schwarber launched Bowden Francis’ second pitch of the game into the second deck at Toronto’s Rogers Centre, marking his fourth home run in just seven at-bats and the second consecutive game he led off with a homer.
The Phillies came back from a five-run deficit to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-9 on Tuesday night, with Schwarber hitting three home runs in the game, including a go-ahead blast in the ninth inning. It was his second three-homer game of the season, and he also added a single and a double.
“The biggest thing was not trying to speed up,” Schwarber said after his go-ahead homer on Tuesday night, according to MLB.com. “If I stay level-headed throughout — don’t let the moment get too big. Right?”
Schwarber’s leadoff homer on Wednesday was his 44th career leadoff home run, tying him with Brady Anderson for ninth-most in MLB history. Rickey Henderson holds the all-time record with 81 career leadoff home runs, while George Springer, who flew out in his first at-bat on Wednesday, is second with 60.
Schwarber, 31, entered Wednesday’s game with a .245/.369/.474 slash line and 31 home runs this season. He also leads the National League with 94 walks. Schwarber exemplifies the modern power-hitting leadoff hitter, as teams have shifted away from prioritizing speed at the top of the lineup in favor of players who can quickly provide a 1-0 lead.
Schwarber’s performance helped the Phillies gain ground in the National League playoff race, as they continue to battle for a postseason berth.
