Inside The Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Star Kyle Schwarber Continues Owning Month of June

The Philadelphia Phillies slugger shows he's still a different player once the calendar hits June.

Dylan Sanders

Jun 13, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) reacts after hitting a double to drive in three runs against the Boston Red Sox in the fourth inning at Fenway Park.
Jun 13, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) reacts after hitting a double to drive in three runs against the Boston Red Sox in the fourth inning at Fenway Park. / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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Once the month of June rolls around, Philadelphia Phillies fans celebrate two things: Wawa's Hoagiefest and the dominance of Kyle Schwarber.

On Monday, both were solidified once again.

Schwarber has consistently picked his game up in June throughout his time in the Majors.

Entering Monday's game he was slashing .253/.351/.581 for his career in this month, far better than any other part of the calendar.

People began to worry, though, as the lefty had just three hits and none going for extra bases through the first eight days this time around.

Philadelphia's road stretch of facing both the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles saw the team go 2-4, which distracted from the fact that Schwarber had actually begun to heat up once again.

The 31-year-old had a two-home run game against Boston and went deep again in Baltimore.

With the Phillies returning home on Monday against the skidding San Diego Padres, many hoped that it would spark something.

That's exactly what happened.

Schwarber opened up the scoring with a 441-foot bomb. He wasn't done, however, as he hit another long ball two at-bats later. His recent performance just solidifies his spot as June's best baseball player.

Fans took to X to celebrate the big day with many pointing out Schwarber's feat coming on the first day of the beloved Hoagiefest - a stretch of the summer where cheap subs can be purchased at Wawa.

It's not just this month, though, as the Ohio native has been more reliable at the plate during the 2024 campaign. He had a sub-.200 batting average a year ago and is up to .253 which would be his highest since 2021 and second-best of his career.

If he can continue his hot streak by repeating, or even improving upon his May, which saw him slash .297/.431/.440, the already impressive Philadelphia offense will be in a great spot.

On Tuesday, when the Phillies needed him most, the slugger delivered again.

Trailing 3-1 in the eighth inning, Schwarber blasted a deep, 398-foot shot to right field that cut Philadelphia's deficit to one run in a contest they ultimately came back and won to come away with another series victory.

As good of a designated hitter as he's been, the Phillies have also toyed with moving him back to left field to account for the recent move to option Johan Rojas back to Triple A.

Schwarber hasn't been known as a great defender, but Philadelphia needs to keep his bat in the lineup any way they can.

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Dylan Sanders

DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders

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