Bryce Harper signed a massive 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies before the 2019 season after spending his first seven seasons with the Washington Nationals.
He’s been as advertised and more since joining the Phillies.
Harper has always been in the spotlight. At 16, he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft a year later. The left-handed slugger made his major league debut at 19 years old and was named the National League Rookie of the Year.
Harper is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger and two-time MVP. He has a career .281 batting average with 336 home runs and 976 RBI. He’s slashing .285/.391/.533 with a .924 OPS, 152 home runs and 455 RBI throughout his six-year Phillies career.
Individual milestones and success are great, but a player proves his worth when it matters most. The Phillies made the postseason three years in a row, and Harper came up big for his team each time.
Bryce Harper is Turning into the Modern Day Mr. October
Harper owns a career .325 batting average in the postseason with the Phillies with 38 hits, 12 home runs and 24 RBI in 34 games. The 12 home runs are tied for the most long balls in Phillies postseason history with Kyle Schwarber. Harper was named the 2022 NLCS MVP for his dominant performance against the San Diego Padres. He had the swing of his life on a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to send the Phillies to their first World Series since 2009.
Harper put together a solid series against the New York Mets in the NLDS despite the Phillies early elimination. The Mets walked him five times in 17 plate appearances. The 31-year-old was 4-for-12 with two doubles and three runs scored. Nothing was as important as his huge two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth inning of Game 2 to put the Phillies on the board and rally the team to a 7-6 win to even the series.
Harper has been worth every penny the Phillies gave him. He cemented himself as one of the most electric athletes to ever play in Philadelphia and is a fan favorite. He embraces what it means to be a Philadelphian in any way imaginable.
Signing Harper could become the greatest signing in Phillies history when his career is over.
He’s been as advertised and more in his Hall of Fame-worthy career.
There’s just one thing missing; a World Series championship.
PHOTO: AP
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