Kyle Schwarber erupted for a four-homer game to lift the Phillies past the Braves 19-4 on Thursday, a performance that instantly revived his MVP bid. The blast was MLB’s 21st four-homer game of the year, a milestone hit by Schwarber joining Eugenio Suárez and Nick Kurtz as the season’s three players to accomplish the feat. It also marked the Phillies’ fourth four-homer game in franchise history, tying them with a lingering legacy of power hitters — Ed Delahanty (1896), Chuck Klein (1936), and Mike Schmidt (1976) — for the most in team history.
Schwarber gave Philadelphia a huge early jolt with a 450-foot homer in the first off Cal Quantrill, added two more off reliever Austin Cox in the fourth and fifth, and capped the sequence with a fourth long ball in the seventh against Wander Suero. He came within a step of a five-homer game when he looked to homer again in the eighth, but popped out against Braves pitcher Vidal Bruján, a position-player pitching appearance that ended the cliffhanger.
The power surge pushed Schwarber to a season-high 49 homers, the most in the National League and just one behind Cal Raleigh for the MLB lead. He also has eight game-changing hits on the season at a time when scrutiny of the MVP race remains intense.
In the long-running MVP debate, Shohei Ohtani remains the heavy favorite in the NL race, with Schwarber holding the edge in homers and RBIs but trailing in innings pitched. Ohtani’s pitching dominance has been a major talking point, while Schwarber has split time between left field and designated hitter this season.
While a four-homer game doesn’t guarantee an MVP, it’s a powerful reminder of Schwarber’s potential and the kind of season he’s having. If he can sustain this pace or heat up further in the final weeks, he could considerably reshape the conversation around the NL MVP.
Summary: Kyle Schwarber’s historic four-homer performance, his 49th homer of the season, and the Phillies’ emphatic win amplify the ongoing NL MVP discussion, underscoring Schwarber’s continued power and influence as the season winds down.
Additional insights:
– This marked the third four-homer game in 2025, the first time three players have achieved the feat in a single season, highlighting a historic power surge across the league.
– Schwarber’s total of 1,618 feet of home runs this season showcases his extreme exit velocity and distance, reinforcing his status as one of the premier power hitters in the game.
– The MVP race remains fluid. One strong stretch for Schwarber or a downturn for Ohtani could shift perceptions, so the final weeks are still wide open and vital for both contenders.