Pete Alonso Makes Kyle Schwarber Comparison After Moving to Leadoff Spot in Orioles' Starting Lineup

Baltimore Orioles slugger Pete Alonso brought up a comparison to Philadelphia Phillies star Kyle Schwarber after moving into the team's leadoff spot for a matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

"I'm not saying me and him are the same guy, but I'm, like, Schwarber-adjacent," Alonso said, via Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. "… I can be the right-handed Schwarber, why not?"

"This could be fun. … Hopefully it's 1-0," he added.

While Alonso will sit atop the batting order for the first game of his MLB career, Schwarber has spent plenty of time as the Phillies' leadoff hitter since joining the club in 2022.

Schwarber's power at the plate isn't typical among leadoff hitters, as his 47 leadoff home runs are already tied for the seventh-most in MLB history. He also racked up 15 leadoff homers in 2024, setting a new single-season record.

Baltimore utilized Gunnar Henderson as its leadoff hitter heading into Friday's action, but he struggled prior to the change.

Henderson has posted a career-low .214 batting average and .297 on-base percentage during his 2026 campaign.

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz will now turn to Alonso, as the five-time All-Star is in the midst of his first year with the organization.

He's amassed 22 doubles, 26 home runs and 77 RBI while slashing .259/.353/.480 through his first 121 games this season. Alonso has been particularly impressive as of late, owning a 1.107 OPS over his past 10 games.

The Orioles sit at the bottom of the American League East standings with a 58-63 record, but they're just two games back from the final AL Wild Card spot.