Kyle Schwarber has treated Philadelphia Phillies fans to his fair share of first inning home runs. The Phillies slugger is known for hitting leadoff home runs. However, he doesn’t do that anymore because of the order. Luckily for Philadelphia, he made the most of his first at-bat. Schwarber crushed the fifth pitch Texas Rangers starter Merrill Kelly threw him 413ft. down the left field line.

It hit the pole at Globe Life Field for his 41st home run.

Kyle Schwarber CRUSHES his 41st HR of the season 😤pic.twitter.com/jmHjYVOpN0

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That swing brings Schwarber within one homer away from Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh for the league lead. As he has done with high pitches all season, the slugger jumped on Kelly’s cutter and smashed it down the line. It came within a couple feet of going foul, but Schwarber’s hit stayed true and broke the seal for Philadelphia.

Raleigh is in the middle of a historic season in Seattle. Other players in the home run race, like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, have received much more attention than Schwarber. However, the Phillies’ DH has forced his way into the MVP conversation in the National League. If the veteran finishes the season with the lead in home runs, there will be no denying his talent.

Schwarber came out of nowhere to win the All-Star Game MVP. That accolade is another achievement in what has been a career season for the slugger. Philadelphia has come to rely on Schwarber’s production, and he has delivered this season, and then some.

Kelly joined the Rangers as a part of their trade deadline moves. The Phillies, on the other hand, focused their efforts elsewhere. Philadelphia brought in Jhoan Duran to help close games. A big reason why they were able to do that is the fact that Schwarber has done so much to lead one of the league’s best offenses.

The Rangers matched Schwarber’s home run in the bottom of the first inning. However, Schwarber’s home run could be the first of many for a Phillies team with a legitimate shot at a World Series title.