It’s not quite Mark McGwire vs. Sammy Sosa, but Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber and Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani are putting on their own intriguing home run chase.
No, we’re not at the point where Schwarber vs. Ohtani is must-see television, though we’re definitely drawing close. Schwarber mashed his 30th homer in Friday’s 4-2 loss to the San Diego Padres. As for Ohtani, he added his 32nd home run, though it couldn’t save the Dodgers in an 8-7 loss to the San Francisco Giants.
Schwarber also became only the second player in Phillies history with 30 homers before the All-Star Break, joining the legendary Mike Schmidt, who did so in 1979. Schmidt finished with 45 home runs, the second-most in his Hall of Fame career.
Schwarber, meanwhile, is well on pace for his third 40-home run season in four years. The three-time All-Star joined Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (38), New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge (34), and Ohtani as the only players with at least 30 homers.
“He’s a great hitter,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said on Friday night.
Kyle Schwarber's 30th homer of the season goes a whopping 425 feet 😳 pic.twitter.com/c8vhJkPbgO
— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2025
“He’s changed his approach,” Thomson continued. “He’s not thinking pull as much. He’s staying on the ball. So it gives him a better chance against left-handed pitchers.”
Who will win the 2025 NL home run crown: Shohei Ohtani or Kyle Schwarber?
Although the FanDuel Sportsbook does not currently offer odds on who will lead the NL in home runs, they do offer odds on the overall home run leader. Ohtani leads all NL players with +650 odds, understandably trailing Judge (-130) and Raleigh (+100). Schwarber ranks fourth with +2500 odds at publication.
Those odds don’t take one thing into account: rest. Schwarber and Ohtani are both full-time designated hitters, but the latter doubles as a pitcher. The time may come when Dave Roberts sits Ohtani once a week while Schwarber remains in the Phillies’ lineup.
What happens if the Dodgers, who currently hold a four-game lead over the Giants, get hot and clinch the division in mid-September? Would Roberts offer Ohtani extended rest via fewer at-bats to keep him energized for the playoffs? Conversely, the Phillies only lead the rival New York Mets by half a game in the NL East.
The odds favor Ohtani, but we’re picking Schwarber to win the NL home run crown. Schwarber owns a career-best .560 slugging percentage and has a realistic shot at his first 50-homer campaign.
We’ll see if Ohtani and Schwarber can give viewers some home run magic in Tuesday’s All-Star Game. If not, we’ll wait until their teams’ September 15 clash to see the two potentially trade home runs.