December 10, 2025
Eric Hartline/Imagn Images
Kyle Schwarber will be launching Schwarbombs into the Citizens Bank Park seats for another five years to come.
It was hard to imagine Kyle Schwarber anywhere else, and after four years and everything that's happened, even he couldn't picture it.
From that breakout run to the NL pennant and regular postseason contention, to his emrgence as one of baseball's fiercest hitters, the soldout and roaring Citizens Bank Park (even on a weekday), the friendships formed in the clubhouse, the support of his charity efforts, and as the free agecny cloud loomed this past season, the push from fans pleading for him to stay.
Schwarber looked back on all of it as he sat without a club for those uncertain couple of months approaching the winter...
And he just couldn't go anywhere else.
Schwarber, the star slugger who crushed a career-best 56 home runs last season, signed a five-year, $150 million deal to remain with the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, he had his video press conference with the media to answer questions about his new contract and his future with the Phils as they continue the chase after that elusive World Series title, and as he spoke, it was clear: His heart was always right here in Philly.
"You can look at everything," Schwarber said. "Knowing that [Phillies owner John Middleton] is committed to winning, and that [Phillies president Dave Dombrowski] wants our organization to continue to keep pushing for a world championship, and we want to continue to win the [NL East], what else for a player can you ask for? When we have such a great fan base on a Wednesday getaway day that there could be 40-some thousand there? Those are things that I don't take lightly."
The city didn't either, as Schwarber came to realize over the past six months.
During Wednesday's call, Schwarber was reminded of his 1,000th career hit, which he homered into the seats of Yankee Stadium back in late July, and how a group of Phillies fans grabbed it. He met with them afterward and offered autographs in exchange for the milestone ball, but one of them asked that he just re-sign with the Phillies instead.
Then he brought up the "Declaration of Independence" poster, which snuck its way into the Phillies' dugout after two fans carried it around Citizens Bank Park to be signed by hundreds of other fans and even ballpark employees, as told by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Alex Coffey.
"I got that in my possession," Schwarber said. "Those are things that you truly do respect about a fan base.
"You hope that as a player, at the end of the day, you're gonna leave your mark on the organization and a fan base, and I'm glad that I'm gonna have five more years to continue to do that in Philadelphia."
But it was all earned.
Philadelphia can be a tough sports town to crack.
Obviously, fans are always going to demand excellence and results. But at the root of it, they just want to know that a player's trying, that they care.
Schwarber does.
It can be felt behind every swing that sends a ball rocketing into the outfield seats, but just as much in his demeanor.
He never shied away from accountability in the clubhouse, and when things are going right, he's quick to put the spotlight on to his teammates rather than himself.
He's been elsewhere in his career, but the player he is, the person he is, he was always a perfect match for a place like Philly from the moment he first arrived in the spring of 2022.
It was hard to imagine Schwarber anywhere else, for himself, for the Phillies, for the city, and fans everywhere else.
Now no one will have to.
"Everything is earned in our game," Schwarber said. "You earn a fan base's respect, you earn people's respect in the game, and when you get that and people respect that, it's awesome. It's just something that you look forward to."
For another five years to come.
SIGN UP HERE to receive the PhillyVoice Sports newsletter
Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick
Follow Nick on Bluesky: @itssnick
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
