You could feel it the moment he stepped in.
Three swings. That’s all he’d get. Just three chances to erase a two-homer deficit — and deliver just the National League’s second win in the last 12 Midsummer Classics.
And Kyle Schwarber? He didn’t flinch.
He took two pitches, then flicked the third just over the center-field wall. One down.
He took another. Then launched pitch No. 5 into orbit — a 461-foot rocket that cleared the right-center bullpen like it had a boarding pass. Tie game.
Then came the finale. Two more pitches passed. One swing left. He dropped to a knee like a backyard slugger pretending he was Reggie Jackson, held his follow-through high, craned his neck to admire the view — and watched the ball splash into the fourth row of the Chop House seats.
Just like that, the National League had itself a 4–3 victory in the first-ever All-Star swing-off, after a 6–6 tie through nine innings in the 95th Midsummer Classic.
And just like that, Kyle Schwarber — who went 0-for-2 with a walk in the game itself — was named MVP of the All-Star Game. The Ted Williams MVP Award, no less.
Only in baseball.
“It was awesome,” Schwarber said. “The guys were really into it. They were yelling, screaming, cheering me on every swing. When that last one goes over, they were all pumped. It was a lot of fun.”
It wasn’t just fun. It was unforgettable.
And in the middle of it all? A guy who looks like he could be manning the grill at a Port Richmond block party, sending baseballs into the Atlanta night like it was batting practice on Pattison Avenue.
AL manager Aaron Boone wasn’t surprised. “That’s Schwarbs. I’m not shocked,” he said. “He did Schwarber-type things.”
Here’s what Schwarber did:
He became the first position player to win All-Star MVP without recording a hit.
He became the second Phillie ever to earn the honor, joining Johnny Callison — who won it in 1964.
And he became the first designated hitter in All-Star history to walk off with the trophy.
“I’m just happy that we get a win with the National League,” Schwarber said afterwards. “And it’s going to come home with us to Philly.”
Now there’s a swing thought.
This whole thing, by the way, is brand new. Because of concerns over pitcher usage — nobody wants to burn a bullpen in July — Major League Baseball and the players’ union installed this shootout-style swing-off format in 2022. Tuesday night was the first time it actually happened.
Each manager picked three hitters to take three swings apiece. Nine swings per team. Most home runs wins.
And now we know: it takes a Philly guy to make this kind of chaos into classic theater.
In a game that felt like a beer-league fever dream — ties, swing-offs, knee drops — Kyle Schwarber did what he always does. He leaned in, swung hard, and made memories.
They might not count in the box score. But they’ll echo in highlight reels, clubhouse banter, and corner bars all over the Delaware Valley.
Turns out, Philly just found its new All-Star moment.
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