Phillies

Letting Kyle Schwarber Chase Ryan Howard’s Home Run Record isn’t Even a Question

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Sep 25th, 2025 · 1:00 PM EDT

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Let’s get it back to the Phillies:

Joe Giglio wants Kyle Schwarber to go after Ryan Howard's single season home run record. And, thinks every Phillies fan should want that too!

"Not only do the Phillies have a bye but the chance of Schwarber getting injured this weekend are so minute" pic.twitter.com/YjRfmCvYdp

— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) September 25, 2025

Interesting decision by Thomson

Eagles faced a similar situation and prioritized winning instead of giving Saquon a chance to break the rushing record

Phillies prioritizing the record https://t.co/A3eXs183UA

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) September 25, 2025

This is the most cut and dry thing of all time. Kyle Schwarber needs two home runs in four games to tie Ryan Howard’s single-season franchise record of 58. A playoff berth and first-round bye as already been clinched. So the risk factor of running Schwarber out there is close to zero. What’s he gonna do as a DH, injure his back swinging the bat?

The other thing to consider is form, the fact that the Phils have been playing well down the stretch. Sunday, September 28th is the end of the regular season and then the NLDS begins on Saturday, October 4th. That’s five full days off, and we’re all familiar with the question of whether or not a bye is helpful or harmful to a team. Sitting Schwarber or anybody else pushes the time off to almost a full week, replaced only by swings in a batting cage or a simulated game, if the Phillies go that route.

So yeah, let Schwarber go for the record. The argument against is more or less nonexistent.