CLEVELAND (AP) — It’s been a long time since Kyle Schwarber went an entire game without getting on base.
The Phillies’ designated hitter has reached safely in 45 straight games dating to last year, including Philadelphia’s first 39 games this season. It’s the longest streak in the majors since New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge completed a 45-game run early in the 2023 season.
“It’s impressive because I see him now as a complete hitter,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “He uses the entire field. He takes his walks, but obviously has big-time power. He’s been really impressive through this stretch.
“You know, it’s not hits. It’s not DiMaggio. But it’s very, very important.”
Joe DiMaggio, of course, set a major league record with his 56-game hitting streak for the Yankees in 1941.
Schwarber extended his on-base streak with an RBI single in the fourth inning of Saturday night’s 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. That tied him with Odubel Herrera for the fourth-longest streak in Phillies history. Mike Schmidt holds the club record at 56 consecutive games, from Aug. 16, 1981, through May 8, 1982.
Schwarber is also two games from tying Herrera’s 2018 team mark for consecutive games getting on base to begin a season.
“To be honest with you, I didn’t even realize anything about it. And then, it started catching on,” Schwarber said. “My job at the plate is moving the runners and drive guys in. I want to get to my pitch and I don’t want to try to help them out by trying to go to their pitches and things like that, and really trying to stay stubborn to the zone. I’ll take a walk and if I’m getting hits, great.”
According to Baseball Reference.com, it is the 26th time since 2000 a player has had an on-base streak of at least 45 games. The Los Angeles Angels’ Orlando Cabrera went 63 games in 2006.
Schwarber’s longest on-base run until last season was 31 games during the 2022 season.
Thomson, a Yankees coach from 2008-17, sees plenty of similarities between Schwarber and Judge.
“Judge and Schwarber see the ball really early out of the pitcher’s hand. That’s a bonus for guys. And they understand the strike zone,” Thomson said.
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