The Philadelphia Phillies have Major League Baseball’s most talented roster (arguably), but one of their most important players is also one of the league’s most underrated, according to a new report.
The Phillies entered Monday with the best record in baseball at 73-51. Philadelphia hasn’t been good in July or August (18-22 record) but maintains a seven-game lead in the division over the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies are still reaping the rewards of an April (19-9 record) and May (20-7) when they looked unstoppable.
A huge aspect of Philadelphia’s success in 2024 has been the play and personality of Kyle Schwarber, who has slugged more than sufficiently and provided a winning presence in the Phillies clubhouse.
Schwarber wasn’t named to the All-Star team, an injustice that prompted Just Baseball’s Tim Kelly to name Schwarber the No. 8 most underrated player in MLB.
“Schwarber wasn’t an All-Star this year, both because the Phillies had eight others and he was blocked at DH in the NL by Shohei Ohtani and Marcell Ozuna,” Kelly said.
“Still, his third season in red pinstripes has been by far the best, which is saying something considering he launched 93 homers across his first two campaigns for the Phillies. The massive power production that Schwarber showed over his first two seasons with the Phillies has continued, as the 31-year-old has 28 home runs and 78 RBIs this season.”
“Schwarber’s overall value has increased as he’s become a full-time DH, after spending large chunks of his first two seasons with the Phillies playing in left field. That’s evident when looking at the 3.0 fWAR Schwarber has in 2024, as opposed to 3.0 combined from 2022 through 2023.”
It’s been a far-from-perfect season for Philadelphia, especially given the recent struggles and overall underproduction from a couple of its key pieces.
The Phillies wouldn’t be close to where they currently are without Schwarber.
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