It’s not often that a home run hitting slugger is slotted into the leadoff spot of a baseball lineup.
But Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber isn’t your typical leadoff hitter, as he’s known for hitting a lot of lead off home runs for the NL East power.
On Wednesday, Schwarber wasted no time putting his team on the scoreboard via the home run. And he also broke a record that’s stood for 20 years.
a leadoff home run to start their 9-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. He hit a deep shot off Rays pitcher Taj Bradley on just the second pitch of the night, and it went more than 430 feet out into right-center field, putting the Phillies up 1-0.
The home run was Schwarber’s 14th leadoff homer of the season, which set a single-season MLB record.
Here’s a look at the record setting smash.
Kyle Schwarber's record-setting 14th leadoff HR of the season! pic.twitter.com/6GezHoVtw1
— MLB (@MLB) September 10, 2024
Before the HR, Schwarber was tied with former New York Yankees star Alfonso Soriano for the record entering Tuesday.
Soriano hit 13 leadoff home runs during the 2003 season. Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts came close to that mark last season, but he finished with 12.
Schwarber was also tied for eighth on the all-time list after he hit 11 leadoff home runs last season with the Phillies. The 31-year-old hit a career-high 47 home runs during that campaign.
The home run Tuesday was Schwarber’s 35th of the season, which is tied for seventh in the league. Schwarber entered Tuesday’s game with a .250 batting average and 94 RBI this season, his third with the Phillies.