Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber announced in an Instagram post Tuesday afternoon that he plans to participate in the 2022 Home Run Derby:
Schwarber previously participated in the event in 2018, when the All-Star Game was at Nationals Park. Ironically, he edged out his current teammate Rhys Hoskins in the semifinals, before losing to his current teammate Bryce Harper in championship round.
So far, Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals, Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves and Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals have confirmed that they will also participate in the Home Run Derby. Alonso is the back-to-back champion, having won the event in 2019 and 2021.
The last time a Phillie won the event was in 2006, when Ryan Howard won the Home Run Derby at PNC Park. The year before, Bobby Abreu won it at Comerica Park.
Over the weekend, Schwarber learned that he’s going to be an All-Star for the second consecutive year. After signing a four-year/$79 million deal with the Phillies in March, Schwarber leads the National League with 28 home runs.