Phyllis were able to host Game 4 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium with the help of 8-2 win in Game 3 on Wednesday night. It was a team effort, but a huge designated hitter Kyle Schwarber had a huge hand in this.
More often than not, when Schwarber plays in the playoffs, he makes an impact.
It started early in his career. Although Schwarber played only 69 games in his career Major League Baseball level with 273 plate appearances, he made the two-hole lineup and posted 97 wins. Cubs in the 2015 NL Wild Card game. Dexter Fowler led off the game with a single, stole second, and then Schwarber drove it home. So Schwarber was 1 for 1 with an RBI in his playoff career. He was just getting started.
In his next fight he sent Gerrit Cole throw yourself into the Allegheny River.
It was three RBIs for the rookie in two career postseason appearances. The Cubs would win 4–0. Schwarber hit five home runs that postseason, including this legendary blast:
As many will remember, Schwarber tore his ACL in the first inning of the Cubs' third game of the 2016 season. He recovered quickly enough to return and serve as DH in the World Series. He had yet to get his power hit back, but he went 7-for-17 (.412) with two RBIs and his leadoff single started the Cubs' winning run in the 10th inning of Game 7.
By 2021, Schwarber was on the roster Red Sox. He scored in the AL Wild Card game. He scored in Game 3 of the ALDS. And he hit a grand slam in Game 3 of the ALCS.
He signed with the Phillies after the offseason and, with them, continues to cement his legacy as one of the greatest hitters the postseason has ever seen.
Although he struggled through the first two rounds of the 2022 playoffs, Schwarber hit three home runs in the NLCS and three more in the World Series. In 2023, he didn't start again until the NLCS, but he hit five home runs in that NLCS against Arizona. The Phillies lost in the NLDS last season, but Schwarber still managed to hit a home run in Game 1.
And that brings us to Game 3 at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night.
Schwarber hit a colossal bomb to right field.
He later added another, which now gives him 23 career postseason goals. Not only is he third all-time in playoff home runs, but look at the number of appearances here to get a good idea of how much more productive he has been on a per-player basis.
1. Manny Ramirez, 29 HR, 493 PA (17 PA/HR)
2. Jose Altuve27 hours, 484 prizes (17.9 people/hour)
3. Kyle Schwarber, 23 HR, 291 PA (12.7 P/H)
4. Bernie Williams, 22 hours, 545 pas (24.8 pas/hour)
t5. Derek Jeter, 20 hours, 734 Pa (36.7 Pa/hour)
T5. George Springer20 h, 328 Pur (168 HR results)
Moreover, Schwarber is the only player to ever play in every round of the playoffs when we divide the rounds into leagues.
- AL Wild Card: 1 hour
- Wild Card NL: 1 HR
- ALDS: 1 hour
- NLDS: 5 hours
- ALKS: 1 hour
- NLKS: 11 o'clock
- World Series: 3 HR
It's not only a testament to the era in which Schwarber plays and is in the right place, but also to his incredible strength, but it's a fun and anomalous stat nonetheless.
Yes, and if that NLCS number jumps out at you, it should. Schwarber holds the all-time record for most NLCS home runs. Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols is second with 10. If we just did LCS home runs, Schwarber trails Manny Ramirez with 13 to one.
When I spoke with Schwarber during the All-Star break, he wanted to emphasize that what he cares about most is winning.
“The best advice I ever received came from Jon Lester,” he said. “To get paid or to be remembered, the best way to become famous is to win.” This has been stuck in my head since 2015 and I try to focus on it. If you associate yourself with winning, it means you are probably doing something good.”
It must definitely be associated with victory. Schwarber pitched in the majors for 11 seasons and made the playoffs 10 times, despite playing for four different teams. He has reached the World Series twice, winning a ring in 2016. His teams are currently 38-34 in playoff games, and he has been instrumental in a ton of those wins. One of them was Game 3 of the 2025 NLDS.
Along the way, he continues to make history as an individual.
For him, Wednesday night's doubleheader was just another episode in the Kyle Schwarber Postseason Legend.
