Dating back to his brief Washington Nationals stint, Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and the Atlanta Braves have seen plenty of one another over the last five years.
At his current pace, Schwarber should be in Atlanta for this summer’s All-Star Game. However, one former MLB general manager wouldn’t be surprised if Schwarber calls Truist Park his home moving forward.
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Longtime MLB executive Jim Bowden listed the Braves as a possible candidate to sign Schwarber this coming offseason—assuming the Braves part ways with Marcell Ozuna, himself an All-Star DH slated to hit free agency.
“Schwarber is arguably the best teammate in the game, reaches base at a 39 percent clip, and is always in the hunt for the home run crown,” Bowden wrote for The Athletic. “He’s a player most teams will covet if they have an opening or flexibility at the DH spot.”
It’s been business as usual for Schwarber thus far, who mashed his league-leading 17th home run—and the 301st of his career—on Tuesday night. Schwarber has already posted 1.9 bWAR, and his .973 OPS trails only Aaron Judge, Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani.
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Even if Schwarber is almost exclusively a DH at this point, that shouldn’t deter the Braves from pursuing the 32-year-old slugger. He’s a proven lefty bat who is only getting better with age, and signing Schwarber takes him away from the Phillies’ lineup.
Schwarber turns 33 next March, putting him in line for one last multi-year deal. Ozuna will play the entire 2025 season at 35, though he may still be able to snag a two-year deal.
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle SchwarberBill Streicher-Imagn Images
In his defense, Ozuna has played a pivotal role in the Braves’ recent resurgence. Ozuna entered Wednesday hitting .266 with eight home runs, 22 RBI, and a .877 OPS for the 24-24 Braves.
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Although Ozuna is on pace to miss the 30-home run mark for the first time since 2022, his 40 walks lead the majors, and he ranks fourth in on-base percentage. Ozuna’s .416 OBP would be his highest outside the .431 he posted in the shortened 2020 season.
The thought of Schwarber leaving Philadelphia sounds bad enough for Phillies fans. However, seeing their beloved DH suit up for the Braves is a much different and frightening image.
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