‘You don’t see many grizzly bears with an eight-pack’: Why Kyle Schwarber is moving better this year

Kyle Schwarber is known for his power, not his speed, but he has been moving around better this season. This isn’t by accident. The Phillies’ designated hitter went into the offseason wanting to improve his mobility. His workouts were more tailored to it than in years past.

The numbers back it up. While there is no difference in Schwarber’s sprint speed — 25 feet per second, the same as in 2023 — there are indicators that he is more explosive, is taking more risks, and is being rewarded for them. Schwarber has stolen two bases this season (with one caught stealing), and has taken extra bases at a rate of 53%, compared with 30% in 2023.

Baseball Savant puts his baserunning run value — which measures risk-taking on the base paths — at 0, which ranks in the 68th percentile in MLB. His baserunning run value in 2023 was in the 10th percentile of all runners, at -2.

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The eye test backs it up, too.

“He’s gone first to third a bunch this year, and he’s doing it with ease,” said outfielder Brandon Marsh. “Usually, last year, or the years prior, he’d have to snake in there, slide in hard and late. To me, he looks faster.

“We like to poke at him a little bit, because he’s the DH. But I really think he’s moving well. He’s getting after it. He looks great — I’ve seen an eight-pack on his stomach. You don’t see many grizzly bears with an eight-pack. So, he’s doing good. We’ve got to keep going.”

Catcher Garrett Stubbs said he has noticed that Schwarber, who is listed at 6-foot, 229 pounds, has dropped a few pounds and is moving better. But that doesn’t stop the Phillies from playfully teasing him.

Of course the players rib him, Stubbs said, as they do evrybody. “Last year, when they came out with that video of him running to third base with the Pirates of the Caribbean music in the background, I thought that was incredible.”

Added Schwarber: “You get little jabs here and there. Especially when you get thrown out. ‘You think you’re fast now?’ Things like that. Fun stuff, right?”

There are a few factors at play here. Schwarber, 31, has made only one start in left field and has made the rest of his starts at DH. He is healthier than he was in 2023, when he was dealing with a nagging knee problem that he decided to play through.

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But all of that aside, the mobility work has made a noticeable difference. Every week of the offseason, Schwarber was in contact with strength and conditioning coaches Morgan Gregory and Furey Leva, who wrote up a workout plan. The goal was not only to help him move better, but also to prevent future injuries.

“I’d say maybe there was different variance of things to do,” Schwarber said. “Maybe it wasn’t focused on so much as Olympic lifting as it was on smaller, detailed things that can help make sure that you’re activating those tinier muscles that you might not really reach. You’re activating those while you use your bigger muscles, too.”

Schwarber arrived in camp trimmer and healthier this year. Early in spring training, he met with first base coach Paco Figueroa, who works with the outfielders and baserunners. Schwarber knew he would spend most of his time at DH this season, but he still wanted to improve on the base paths and in the outfield.

“He was aware that he lost a step or two last year, just with the little aches and stuff that he had, and he went to work,” Figueroa said. “He’s worked hard on his mobility. You can see a big difference on the bases now. He should have had another stolen base, that one where he got caught stealing. The catcher made a perfect throw and a perfect tag. That’s going to happen.

“But he’s running the bases well. Going first to third, scoring from first to home a couple times. It’s been noticeable.”

Schwarber shags balls with his teammates in the outfield most days. He works on his jumps, and his first-step angles. He is the DH, but Figueroa said he doesn’t look at himself that way.

“I mean, if you talk to Schwarber, he’s not a DH, in his mind, and he shouldn’t be,” Figueroa said. “He’s been a position player his whole life. And he still is. So, it’s just where our team is now — he’s our DH. But he’s still an outfielder, and he’s going to continue to work in the outfield.”

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Part of the reason Schwarber has made a point to stay as fresh in the outfield as possible is that he knows his teammates need a day off. He wants to share the DH spot much as he can.

“We were all joking the other day, it was the first time I played left field and it took a month, right?” Schwarber said. “I’ve always told them this, I’m still vocal about it: I want to give guys days off their feet. I don’t want them to feel like that they just have to play their position to be in the lineup. I feel like that can be a really beneficial thing. Having the first day out there in left field felt really comfortable.

“I know Nick [Castellanos] has played every inning on defense. And there’s some other guys. … [Bryce] Harper has been out there a lot at first base. So, hopefully you can get them a break off their feet, too.”

Schwarber will never be as quick as Trea Turner, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make an impact on the bases. His teammates like to tease him, but they respect his hustle.

Marsh, for one, thinks Schwarber this season can post a career-high in stolen bases, which, for the record, stands at 10 in 2022. His prediction?

“Thirteen,” Marsh said.