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Schwarber joins Mantle, Bonds, breaks 45-game HR record

5/17/2026

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Summary

Schwarber Sets Record

Kyle Schwarber, the Philadelphia Phillies’ designated hitter, hit his 20th home run in his 45th game, breaking Luis Gonzalez’s May 17, 2001 record.
The homer tied Cy Williams’ 1923 mark of 20 homers in 45 games, joining Mickey Mantle and Barry Bonds.
Schwarber finished 3-for-5 with two homers, five RBIs and a .237/.365/.645 slash line.
He is under a five-year $150 million contract, on pace for 72 this season.

Summary

Nola Struggles

Aaron Nola posted a 5.91 ERA, allowing nine homers in nine starts, forcing offensive reliance.
Since Don Mattingly became manager, the Phillies have gone 13-4, 22-23 and one game shy of .500.
Rank 21st in runs, Kyle Schwarber accounts for 37 percent of homers, so opponents will walk him and target Bryce Harper.
Jake Mangum started a traffic-cone tradition in April, a fixture at PNC Park with the Pirates’ offensive surge.

Summary

Schwarber Streak

Kyle Schwarber joined Albert Belle as two MLB players to post two separate nine-plus home-run streaks in an eight-game span.
He also became the second Phillies hitter after Mike Schmidt to record nine or more homers in eight games.
Don Mattingly and son Preston Mattingly formed the Phillies' first father-son roster pairing this season.
Analysts said that with four-and-a-half months remaining, Schwarber could still chase the 60-home-run mark.

History

Historical Context

Roger Maris’s 61-home-run surge in 1961 turned the Yankees into a power-hitting benchmark, spurring league-wide emphasis on slugging. Kyle Schwarber has shown comparable early-season power for the Phillies in 2024 within MLB. The parallel underscores how record-chasing bursts continue to shape contract values and player valuation across teams in the modern era.

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Schwarber Sets Record

Kyle Schwarber, the Philadelphia Phillies’ designated hitter, hit his 20th home run in his 45th game, breaking Luis Gonzalez’s May 17, 2001 record.
The homer tied Cy Williams’ 1923 mark of 20 homers in 45 games, joining Mickey Mantle and Barry Bonds.
Schwarber finished 3-for-5 with two homers, five RBIs and a .237/.365/.645 slash line.
He is under a five-year $150 million contract, on pace for 72 this season.

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