Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber only hit two singles during May
Kyle Schwarber is in a postmodern slump, hitting only two singles in the month of May as he reaches an MLB milestone that hasn’t been seen in over a decade.
As thousands of people in the northern hemisphere eagerly awaited the start of June, with its heralding of the summer solstice, there is no one more anxious to see the back of May than Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber.
Known for possessing prodigious power with the bat, May has shown up the weakness in Schwarber’s attack, allowing him to give us something that hasn’t been seen for 15 years.
Schwarber’s power through May was tempered by his inability to hit for average.
Of Schwarber’s 10 hits during the month, seven of them were home runs.
A member of the United States team during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Schwarber became only the seventh player in Major League history and the first since Cody Ross in 2008 to have at least 70 percent of his hits in a month be home runs (minimum 10 games).
In his last 28 games, Schwarber has managed only two singles.
The outfielder’s batting average during May was a microscopic .115 over 26 games. Schwarber struck out 34 times and doubled once.
Although Schwarbs isn’t the only one in Philly struggling with the bat, he is perhaps feeling the pressure a little more than some, following the $79 million contract he signed before the 2022 season. Philadelphia went 10-16 in May and scored three runs or fewer 13 times. They have been held to one run total in the past two games by the Mets.
Winning last year’s National League pennant will only keep the Phillies satisfied for so long, and Schwarber’s numbers are well below expectation.
Making his major league debut in 2015 with the Cubs, Schwarber has played for the Washington Nationals, the Boston Red Sox, and now the Phillies. Part of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series winning team, he is a two-time All-Star and led the national league in home runs a year ago with 46.
TODAY’S GAME
Max Scherzer (4-2, 3.54 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Mets against Taijuan Walker (4-2, 5.57) in a battle between right-handers and former New York teammates.