The question didn't even need to be finished when John Middleton was asked if the All-Star Game MVP award was any extra motivation towards the Phillies re-signing Kyle Schwarber.

Bringing Schwarber back is a no-brainer for the Phillies' owner.

"We love him. We want to keep him," Middleton said before Friday's game against the Angels at Citizens Bank Park. "We don't need any motivation whatsoever."

Schwarber is heading for free agency after the 2025 season and significantly has a case for a massive raise from the Phillies. He has 31 home runs on the season and is on pace for 52, as Schwarber would be just the second Phillies player to hit 50+ home runs in a season (Ryan Howard had 58 in 2006).

Since Schwarber signed with the Phillies in 2022, he has hit 162 with the club — the third-most home runs in baseball behind only Aaron Judge (192) and Shohei Ohtani (164). His 12 home runs in the postseason since 2022 are tied with teammate Bryce Harper for the most in baseball.

Schwarber has a career .847 OPS with the Phillies, making two All-Star Games and winning a Silver Slugger Award in 2022. He's been everything the Phillies hoped, a massive bargain at four years and $79 million ($19.75 million per season).

"We need no motivation whatsoever when it comes to Kyle Schwarber," Middleton said. "He's great. We thought he was great when we signed him (four) years ago. We thought he's great, consistently, during the years. There's nothing Kyle does that surprises us. No matter how great he is, we expect that from him. He's a great person in the dugout. He's a great person in the clubhouse."