The Philadelphia Phillies had a strong one-two punch in the rotation with Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler last year, plus the NL MVP Bryce Harper.
They were left out of the postseason, however, and it was mainly because their bullpen was bad and their offense, beyond Harper, wasn’t anything special.
During the offseason, the Phillies made it a priority to bring in at least a couple difference-makers for the lineup.
They had to spend a lot of money, but they got them: Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos both signed lucrative MLB contracts in free agency.
Schwarber is wasting no time in announcing his presence, as he hit a huge home run against the Oakland Athletics on Friday afternoon.
SCHWARBER BLOWS THE LID OFF THE BANK pic.twitter.com/8xW9Nq9MdC
— Phillies HR Tracker (@PHI_HR_Tracker) April 8, 2022
That ball was severely punished, as Schwarber hit a long drive to right field that left the yard in a hurry.
The Phillies Need Schwarber At His Best
The Phillies hope that Schwarber and Castellanos, together with other important pieces of the lineup like J.T. Realmuto, Rhys Hoskins, and others, can help Harper and the pitching staff to get to the postseason.
It won’t be easy, as the Phillies share a division with both the reigning World Series champions Atlanta Braves and the big-spending New York Mets.
But they have the offensive firepower to make things really interesting.
Schwarber, who signed a four-year, $79 million contract with Philadelphia, is coming off a terrific season in 2021.
He slashed .266/.374/.554 last year between the Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox, and showcased the best of his offensive repertoire: getting on base and hitting for power.
Schwarber hit 32 round-trippers in just 113 games: had he played something closer to 140 or 150 contests, he could have eclipsed 40 blasts.
He will certainly try to do it this year in Philly.
NEXT: Aaron Nola Joins An Elite Club In Phillies History