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Kyle Schwarber’s 1,000th career hit couldn’t have been more on brand. The Phillies slugger blasted a 113.8 mph two-run homer to tie Friday night’s game against the Yankees, and fittingly, it landed in the hands of a trio of Phillies fans seated in right-center field.
It was a milestone moment in more ways than one — for Schwarber, who notched his 1,000th hit in style, and for the fans, who caught a piece of history and delivered a memorable, uniquely Philly request in return.
After the game, Schwarber met the three fans who retrieved the ball. He happily traded two signed baseballs in exchange for it. When he asked if they wanted a third, they responded with one request: “Just re-sign with the Phillies.”
Schwarber laughed, signed another ball anyway, and appreciated the moment. “It’s been fantastic these last three-and-a-half, four years now, the support that we get from our fans,” he said. “It means a lot to me that they attach themselves onto our team. We can feel that support, and yeah, I always appreciate it.”
Will Kyle Schwarber re-sign with the Phillies?
The 1,000-hit Schwarbomb wasn’t the end of Schwarber’s night. He added another two-run homer in the eighth inning — a 115 mph missile — to help seal Philadelphia’s 12-5 comeback win. With the two blasts, he now sits at 36 homers on the season, just one behind Shohei Ohtani for the National League lead.
Manager Rob Thomson had high praise for Schwarber’s impact: “I’ve said it all along — I don’t know where we’d be without him. He comes up with big hit after big hit after big hit. It’s amazing.”
It was Schwarber’s 33rd career multi-homer game and continued his post-All-Star break tear. He’s gone deep six times in seven games, including a heroic showing in the All-Star swingoff, where he led the National League to victory with three home runs in three swings.
Schwarber’s power production is unmatched at this stage in his career. His first homer Friday was the 319th of his career — the most by any player at the time of their 1,000th hit in MLB history. For context, Mark McGwire had 311 and Aaron Judge had 308 when they reached that same milestone.
Despite leading the league in jaw-dropping home runs, it was a lighthearted moment with three die-hard fans that stole the spotlight.
As free agency looms this offseason, Phillies fans made it clear they’re not ready to say goodbye. And based on the laughter and warmth of that postgame exchange, it seems the feeling might be mutual.
