The 2025 NL MVP Results Are In — and Kyle Schwarber’s Placement Might Surprise Everyone in Philadelphia. DD
Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber was named a finalist for the 2025 National League Most Valuable Player alongside Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. Who won?
The Philadelphia Phillies were 0-for-2 in the MLB Awards leading into Thursday night. Rob Thomson finished third in the National League’s Manager of the Year vote decided by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday. Cristopher Sánchez then got all 30 second place ballots for the NL Cy Young award 24 hours later with Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes reigning victorious.
Kyle Schwarber was the Phillies’ last shot at bringing home some hardware as a finalist to win the NL Most Valuable Player.
Despite the remarkable year Schwarber had, he entered with the odds stacked against him since three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani put together another elite season. The BBWAA recognized Ohtani’s dominance awarding the unicorn and one-of-a-kind ball player which he is, his fourth MVP title.
Schwarber finished as the runner-up with 260 points consisting of 23 second place votes, five third place votes, one fourth, and one fifth place vote. Juan Soto for the Mets came in third. Trea Turner finished fifth.
In his final season of a four-year, $79 million contract with the Phillies, Schwarber’s 2025 campaign was stellar. The 32-year-old had 56 home runs and 132 RBIs which led all of baseball and were career highs for Schwarber. Out of his 56 taters, 23 of them came against a left-handed pitcher which was a single-season record regarding a lefty-vs-lefty matchup. Schwarber’s numbers were better when facing southpaws. He batted .252 with a .964 OPS compared to a .232 AVG and .906 OPS with a right-hander on the mound, yet teams kept throwing lefties out to face Schwarber. Bad move.
There were thunderous MVP roars throughout Citizens Bank Park late in the year whenever Schwarber stepped into the box as he approached history. Up until Ryan Howard (58 in 2006), there was no other Phillie to hit 50 home runs in a single-season. With every Schwarbomb inching closer to joining Howard, the atmosphere at CBP intensified with no fan wanting to miss the moment.
On September 9, Schwarber etched his name in Philadelphia history hitting No. 50, fittingly against NL East rival the New York Mets. A four-homer night 11 contests prior boosted Schwarber closer to the plateau while becoming the 21st player to ever hit four long balls in a game.
Although he didn’t officially win the MVP, Schwarber was the true MVP in the eyes of Philadelphia. Without Schwarber, the Phillies wouldn’t have been where they were. Schwarber put the team on his back in all 162 games he played in, which he was one of six players to achieve that feat in 2025. Schwarber’s 4.7 bWAR, .365 OPS, .563 SLG, .928 OPS, 111 runs, and 108 walks led Philadelphia’s offense.
“If you would ask the three of us who was really the heartbeat of the Philadelphia Phillies in ’25, I think we all agree it was Schwarber,” MLB Network’s Dan Plesac said.
He was the jolt that the Phillies needed on a nightly basis. Philadelphia went 39-11 including the postseason when Schwarber gone yard and the Phillies outscored their opponents 344-180 in those contests.
Schwarber remains a priority to bring back during free agency, but this past season skyrocketed his value. If Philadelphia is unable to have Schwarber return, whoever comes in has big shoes to fill replacing a Silver Slugger and MVP finalist in Schwarber.
“He brings a lot. We’ve talked about it for four years. Just his calmness, professionalism, experience that he brings. How he talks to the younger players when they’re scuffling and talks to them through their problems. He’s a huge piece in that clubhouse,” Thomson said. “Let’s say we lose him, hopefully some other guys have learned from him, and they can carry it on, but hopefully we don’t.”
