Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber Makes Postseason History With Another Leadoff Home Run

Kyle Schwarber delivered a signature Schwarbomb to open Game 1 of the NLDS between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets on Saturday, moving up the all-time postseason leaderboards.

Oct 5, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) hits a solo home run against the New York Mets in the first inning in game one of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Kyle Schwarber has proven himself to be the king of leadoff home runs over the past few years, and he cemented that title on Saturday.

The 31-year-old designated hitter was batting out of the leadoff spot for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the NLDS against the New York Mets. He was going head-to-head Mets ace Kodai Senga, the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up who hadn't taken the mound in an MLB game since July.

Schwarber exactly didn't give Senga the warmest welcome back to the big leagues.

Instead, Schwarber took him yard with a solo bomb. The slugger got a hold of Senga's 96 mile-per-hour fastball and sent it 425 feet to right field.

That home run moved Schwarber into fourth place on MLB's all-time postseason home run leaderboards. He now has 21 for his career, giving him one more than New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter.

It also marked the fifth leadoff home run of Schwarber's playoff career. According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, that is two more than anyone else in league history.

KYLE SCHWARBER LEADOFF TANK 😳 pic.twitter.com/yJdMJsDINQ

— MLB (@MLB) October 5, 2024

Schwarber now has three playoff home runs that have had an exit velocity of at least 115 miles per hours. Per Langs, that ties him with Giancarlo Stanton for the most in the Statcast era, which started in 2015.

Nobody else has more than one in that span.

In 150 games this regular season, Schwarber hit .248 with 38 home runs, 104 RBI, an .851 OPS and a 3.5 WAR. He broke MLB's single-season record with 15 leadoff home runs in 2024, surpassing the high mark previously set by Alfonso Soriano.

Schwarber added a single in the bottom of the third, but he went hitless in the final six innings on Saturday. The Mets went on to win 6-2, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

Check out Fastball's full breakdown of the 2024 MLB Playoffs HERE, featuring schedules, brackets, matchups and more.

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