The Philadelphia Phillies have the National League East lead entering play on Monday. Kyle Schwarber and Zack Wheeler were named All-Stars, but Schwarber has made it clear where he stands on the home run derby.
Schwarber is a two-time Home Run Derby participant. He has not won the event, and will not this year either. He announced that he will not be participating, but in doing so, may have dropped a hint on his future.
"No, I'm not going to do the Home Run Derby," Schwarber told OnPattison. "Maybe see what happens next year."
The second half of Schwarber's statement, which came after a brief pause, is telling. The All-Star Game will be making its way to Philadelphia next year, and it would make sense that Schwarber would participate in his home ballpark. However, as of right now, there is no guarantee that Schwarber is on the Phillies next year.
He will be a free agent after this season, but to say he will consider participating next year means he is open to staying in Philadelphia. ESPN's Jeff Passan suggested Schwarber could earn a four-year, $100 million deal in free agency. That would outweigh his current deal, and would be a risky move. Schwarber is already 32, but he has shown no real sign of decline at the plate.
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Only Pete Alonso and Aaron Judge have hit more home runs than Schwarber since 2019. Schwarber has 27 home runs this year. He is also slashing .251/.383/.541 with 64 walks. He has hit 158 home runs with the Phillies since signing. He has also played in at least 150 games in each of the last three years, and is on pace to do so again this year.
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