With his first home run of the 2023 MLB playoffs, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber did not just put his team on the board first in the 2023 National League Championship Series; he also surpassed two baseball legends for the most leadoff home runs ever in the postseason, per ESPN Stats & Info (h/t Jesse Rogers of ESPN)

“That's Kyle Schwarber's 4th career leadoff home run in the playoffs, passing Derek Jeter and Jimmy Rollins for the most in MLB postseason history.”

Schwarber launched that homer on the very first pitch he saw from Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen. Schwarber setting the tone early at the plate has seemingly injected even more energy into his teammates, with Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos each hitting a solo homer in their respective first at-bats of the contest.

Schwarber had not been hitting great in the postseason heading into Game 1 against the Diamondbacks, as he entered the series batting just .118 with a .211 OBP, and a .176 SLG in the 2023 MLB playoffs. The hope for the Phillies is that his early exploit Monday night was just the start of better things to come from the 30-year-old slugger. Back in the regular season, Schwarber slashed .197/.343/.474 with 47 home runs, 104 RBIs, and 126 walks. While his batting average in the regular season was nothing to write home about, he definitely made the most out of every time he got contact with the ball.

The Phillies are favored to win the NLCS against the Diamondbacks, and if they are to reach the World Series for the second year in a row, they definitely need Schwarber to get going.