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Philadelphia Phillies Slugger Kyle Schwarber Breaks MLB's Leadoff Home Run Record

Kyle Schwarber blasted his 14th leadoff homer of the season Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, vaulting the Philadelphia Phillies star past Alfonso Soriano on the single-season leaderboards.

Sam Connon

Sep 10, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates his home run during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park.
Sep 10, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates his home run during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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Kyle Schwarber has made history by doing what he does best.

The Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter blasted a 437-foot home run to right-center to open up Tuesday night's contest against the Tampa Bay Rays. It marked Schwarber's 35th home run of the season, as well as his 14th leadoff bomb.

That solo shot helped Schwarber break MLB's single-season leadoff home run record. The title previously belonged to Alfonso Soriano, who hit 13 back in 2003.

Schwarber tied the record against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sept. 4.

Buddy Kennedy wound up pinch-hitting for Schwarber in the bottom of the fourth. The team announced that Schwarber was dealing with left elbow discomfort and that he is set for further evaluation.

Philadelphia went on to defeat Tampa Bay 9-4. Schwarber drew a walk and scored another run in the third before exiting, finishing the night 1-for-1 with two runs, an RBI and a walk.

Schwarber is now batting .251 with 35 home runs, 95 RBI and an .868 OPS through 134 games in 2024. He entered Tuesday with a 3.4 WAR on the season.

The 31-year-old slugger has now belted 32 leadoff homers since joining the Phillies in 2022. His 128 total home runs in that time are the most in the National League.

Naturally, Schwarber's 14 leadoff home runs this year are a Phillies record. The 11 he hit in 2023 rank second in franchise history, while the seven he hit in 2022 rank fourth, according to MLB.com's Sarah Langs.

Now, all eyes will turn to Schwarber's health, considering the Phillies are in the thick of a tight playoff race. Philadelphia may lead the NL East by a comfortable 7.0 games, but they are currently tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the No. 1 overall seed.

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Sam Connon

SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.

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