Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber has been on a tear this season. Going into Wednesday's games, he sits just two home runs behind Cal Raleigh, who is currently leading all of MLB with his 51 home runs this season.
Through 138 games this year, Schwarber is hitting .245/.366/.577 with 49 home runs and an MLB-leading 119 runs batted in. He has been key to the Phillies staying atop the National League East.
Schwarber has been an all-around hitter this season, which is something he has been focusing on. He spoke with Forbes' John Perrotto and referenced a key offensive adjustment to his success.
"I've always believed in working counts and being a selective hitter," said Schwarber. "You can be picky and sometimes have some borderline strikes called balls. But the adjustment I made was to be more aggressive with pitches in the strike zone. That mentality has paid off. That's why I'm a better hitter now. I'm not always looking for the perfect pitch, but any pitch that I can do damage on."
Kyle Schwarber is setting himself up for a big payday
Kyle Schwarber's offensive firepower is coming at just the right time. He is currently set to become a free agent when the season comes to an end, and plenty of teams will be in pursuit of him.
It will be interesting to see if he and the Phillies can agree to a new deal during the offseason. He is currently projected to obtain a four to five-year contract valued at over $100 million, which would be the biggest contract of his career.