PHILADELPHIA — As Kyle Schwarber rounded the bases — for the second time on the night — in the bottom of the third inning of Monday's 13-7 Phillies win over the Chicago Cubs, an interesting thought popped up.
When Schwarber's career is over, which of these two teams will he be remembered more as a member of?
Here is your SECOND reminder that the Chicago Cubs non-tendered Kyle Schwarber🧾🧾🧾 pic.twitter.com/TnEFCkUoS2
Nationally, it feels like anyone who was a member of the 2016 Cubs — who snapped the "Curse of the Billy Goat" by winning the franchise's first World Series title in 108 years — is going to be remembered as part of that team first and foremost.
That means obvious players like Kris Bryant, Jake Arrieta and Anthony Rizzo. It may even mean that players who had incredible moments with other franchises but were part of Chicago's title in 2016 — think Aroldis Chapman and Jon Lester — are thought of as Cubs when their careers wrap up.
Schwarber only played in two games during the 2016 regular season after tearing his left ACL and LCL early in the season, but he returned for the World Series and hit .412 in 17 at-bats. Given how close the margins were in one of the greatest World Series of all time, it's fair to wonder if Chicago would have beaten Cleveland without Schwarber. For that alone, he's forever etched into some people's minds as a Cub.
It's hard, though, to deny how much more prolific that Schwarber has been as a Phillie than he was with the Cubs, as evidenced by the numbers between the two tenures entering Monday night's tilt.
Numbers with Cubs (551 games across six seasons): 121 home runs, 279 RBIs, 274 walks, .816 OPS, 5.4 WAR
Numbers with Phillies (642 games across five seasons): 191 home runs, 443 RBIs, 438 walks, .857 OPS, 11.2 WAR
If you want another number that puts things in perspective, here's a great one from Phillies PR: Monday was Schwarber's 37th career multi-homer game. 23 of those have come since joining the Phillies in 2022.
Whether it was his return in 2016 or a 450-foot homer off of Gerrit Cole in the 2015 NL Wild Card Game, Schwarber's postseason resume with the Cubs is remarkable:
It is with the Phillies, though, too. No, the Phillies haven't gotten over the hump and won a World Series with Schwarber. But he hit a 488-foot homer off of Yu Darvish in Game 1 of the 2022 NLCS, and a 455-foot homer out of Dodger Stadium off of eventual World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 3 of the 2025 NLDS:
The October numbers for Schwarber — who is tied with George Springer for third in MLB history with 23 career postseason home runs — are excellent with both clubs.
Postseason Numbers with Cubs (66 at-bats across 24 games): Six home runs, 11 RBIs, 13 walks, .981 OPS
Postseason Numbers with Phillies (134 at-bats across 38 games): 14 home runs, 20 RBIs, 28 walks .930 OPS
The advantage that the Phillies have, of course, is that Schwarber just re-signed in Philadelphia last offseason for five years and $150 million. He spent parts of six seasons with the Cubs before they made the ill-fated decision to non-tender him when he struggled during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. If Schwarber plays out his current contract with the Phillies, he'll have spent nine years in red pinstripes. That will include a 56-homer campaign in 2025 that saw Schwarber finish runner-up in NL MVP voting, which will almost certainly be the best season of his career.
In the end, this may not have to be a black and white debate. Schwarber can be remembered as both a Cub and a Phillie.
Of course, Schwarber hit his 345th and 346th career homers Monday against his former team. At 33, he still seems to be at the height of his powers, with 500 career homers a realistic target. If Schwarber gets to 500 home runs, it will unlock and interesting Hall of Fame case, and a possible debate about whether his Cooperstown plaque should have a "C" or a "P" on it.
I asked Kyle Schwarber whether it’s still weird for him to face the Cubs. @OnPattison pic.twitter.com/kNBer1lz59
