If offered slot in Home Run Derby, Schwarber would likely pass

Given the historic home run barrage he's been on over the last 2 1/2 weeks, it's only been natural to wonder if Kyle Schwarber is going to earn a coveted spot in the upcoming Home Run Derby at Coors Field.

Schwarber, though, all but said Tuesday night he doesn't expect to find himself in Colorado in two weeks for the annual midsummer power exhibition that leads into the following night's All-Star Game.

"If I was approached, I would probably not do it just in terms of ... you get a little sore afterwards," the Nationals slugger said during his Zoom session following Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Rays. "It's four minutes of just straight hacking as hard as you can. I think it's such a great experience, and the people who are going to be in it, especially for the first time, they're gonna love it. It's going to be something they never forget ... I just think that the best thing to do is probably let it pass and rest up and look forward to the second half."

Schwarber knows all this from experience. He was part of an epic 2018 derby at Nationals Park, then as a member of the Cubs, taking Bryce Harper down to the wire in the final round before finally finishing runner-up to the then-Nats star.

"I had a really good experience here in Washington, D.C., with the Home Run Derby," he said. "I mean, it was a phenomenal Home Run Derby with Bryce there in the finals. It was definitely a moment that you're not going to forget and you kind of check that off your bucket list."

Schwarber would be as compelling a choice for this year's derby as anyone. With 16 homers in 18 games, he has thrust himself toward the top of the major leaguer power leaderboard. He enters the day tied with Fernando Tatis Jr. for the National League lead at 25, one behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and three behind two-way sensation Shohei Otani for the major league lead.

But Schwarber said he hasn't been approached about participating yet. And though he'd be honored if asked, he probably would decline. Not out of fear of messing up his swing, but because of the toll it takes on his body and the negative impact that could have on the Nationals' second-half fortunes.

"The biggest thing is you get sore. You're going to get sore after the fact," he said. "Three rounds of four minutes, plus another 30 seconds. So you're taking like 14-15 minutes of just full swings. And you don't ever do that in a day in your routine in baseball. That's just torturing yourself. If you want to torture yourself, you want to do it for the Home Run Derby, 'cause it's an experience you're never gonna forget. But it's definitely taxing on the body."