Former Drover Rafael Pena to Pitch to Kyle Schwarber in 2026 MLB Home Run Derby

Philadelphia, Pa. – Tonight at 7:00 PM CT (July 13), former Drover baseball player Rafael Pena will pitch to MLB superstar Kyle Schwarber for the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa. Schwarber is making his third appearance in the derby, having made the finals in 2018 at Nationals Park before losing to Bryce Harper and was also part of the 2022 derby at Dodger Stadium, losing in the first round to Albert Pujols.

Aiding Schwarber in his chase to claim his first derby win, will be former Drover Rafael Pena, who is the person who throws live batting practice to the left-handed slugger whenever he takes it on the field.

This season, Schwarber is once again one of the most feared hitters in the world, leading MLB in home runs (32), in addition to nine doubles and 59 runs batted in.

"I love hitting off him," Schwarber said, via Buster Olney of ESPN. "You know, we do a lot of challenges in the cage work -- stuff where I'm working on hard stuff, sliders, changeups. But we also do regular batting practice, and I've always kind of found that he and I match up well together."

Finding the right pitcher is a major factor in home run derbies. Much as a "real"pitcher, there is a lot of pressure on the person throwing the pitches, putting it in a spot where the batter can launch the ball out of the park.

Schwarber knows that Pena is the right guy for him. As noted, they a great deal of experience working together, and it certainly sounds like Pena could help propel him to winning the event for the first time.

Along with a strong pitching performance, the Philadelphia star also has the added benefit of hitting in front of his home fans tonight.

Pena is in his third season as the Phillies Assistant Hitting Coach, following five seasons with the Houston Astros organization.

While with the Astros organization, Pena served as the hitting coach for the Bandits in 2019, the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks (2021) and the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys (2022).

Prior to beginning his professional coaching career, Pena graduated from USAO with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 2016. He was a standout utility player on the field, and he later began his coaching career with the Drovers.

Pena joined the USAO coaching staff in 2016, assisting with hitting, base running and fielding. Before becoming a coach, the Dominican-native hit .400 in his senior season, earning All-Sooner Athletic Conference honors as a utility player. Over two seasons as a player, Pena appeared in 84 games, tallying 111 hits, 25 doubles, nine homeruns, 77 runs batted in, and 59 runs scored. He produced a career batting average of .384, along with a .442 on base percentage and .564 slugging percentage.

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