Kyle Schwarber, the Philadelphia Phillies’ powerhouse hitter, has become the first to reach 40 home runs this Major League Baseball (MLB) season.
On Thursday, Schwarber started as the designated hitter in an away game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. He went 2-for-5 with a homer, driving in three runs and scoring twice, leading the Phillies to a 6-0 victory.
Schwarber’s blast came in the second inning. With one out and runners on first and second, he crushed a fastball from Seattle’s Bryan Woo, sending it soaring over the right-center field fence for a three-run shot.
With his 40th homer of the season, Schwarber has now pulled ahead of Yordan Alvarez (Houston Astros) and Matt Olson (Atlanta Braves), who are tied at 36 home runs each.
This marks the fourth time Schwarber has hit 40 or more homers in a season since his MLB debut in 2015. He previously achieved this feat in 2022 (46), 2023 (47), and 2025 (56).
Last year, Schwarber’s impressive tally of 56 home runs prevented Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers from claiming a third consecutive home run title.
Only three active players have hit 40 or more home runs in a season four times: Schwarber, Shohei Ohtani, and Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees.