Bryce Harper has been one of the game’s best players for over 11 years. Many people think he is MLB’s LeBron James. Harper has accomplished a lot in his career, he’s won the Rookie of the Year award, two MVP awards, two silver slugger awards, and has had seven all-star game nods. Harper has even won a Home Run Derby. While Harper will one day be enshrined in Cooperstown, the one glaring thing missing from his resume is a World Series ring. If Harper doesn’t win a ring, then he’d be baseball’s equivalent to Dan Marino.
A Prodigy Before He Even Stepped On The Field
Bryce Harper had a lot of hype surrounding him even before he was drafted. The media hype him up as the “Lebron James of Baseball.” He was even featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 16. Like Lebron James’s cover, Sports Illustrated proclaimed Harper as the “chosen one.” To capitalize on the hype, Harper dropped out of high school after two years to reclassify for the 2010 draft, he would then take his GED and enroll at College of Southern Nevada. In his only season playing college baseball, Harper would win the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s best college baseball player.
Bryce Harper would later be drafted number one overall by the Washington Nationals in the 2010 MLB Draft. It would take until the final minute of the signing deadline to officially sign Harper. Despite talk of him skipping minor-league baseball, Harper would begin his professional career in the Arizona Fall League. Despite suffering a bad hamstring injury in 2011, he would only spend just two seasons in the Washington Nationals minor league system.
Making An Impact On Day One
After Ryan Zimmerman was placed on the injured list, Bryce Harper was officially called up on April 27th, 2012. He would make his debut the following day against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Harper would appear in 139 games for the Nationals that season and would hit .270 with 20 home runs, 59 RBI, and an OPS of .817. He would make his first all-star game appearance and later earn Rookie of the Year honors. Since that season, Bryce Harper hasn’t looked back. Harper has lived up to his dubbing as the “chosen one.” Individually, Harper has won the Rookie of the Year award, two MVP awards, two silver slugger awards, and has been selected to seven all-star games.
Postseason Failures In Washington
However, Harper’s teams have never been able to get over the playoff hump. During his time in Washington, the Nationals won four NL East titles in his eight seasons there. They were also considered stronger contenders as well. Washington never won a playoff series with Harper. They would be knocked out of the NLDS in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017. The Nationals would also miss the playoffs in 2013 and 2018. Harper struggled during those postseason games. In 19 career playoff games with the Nationals, Harper would hit just .211 with five home runs and ten RBI.
After eight seasons with the Washington Nationals, Bryce Harper took his talents to the Philadelphia Phillies. He would sign a then record-breaking 13-year $330 million contract. Despite being hampered by major injuries the past two seasons, Harper has racked up another MVP award, a silver slugger, and an all-star game appearance.
Inconsistent Team’s In Philadelphia So Far
However, in his first two seasons in Philadelphia, the Phillies missed the playoffs. In 2022, it looked like the Phillies would miss the playoffs again with Harper until they fired manager Joe Girardi in May of that season. Harper would suffer a small UCL tear in May and be used exclusively as a designated hitter. However, in June, he fractured his left thumb and wouldn’t return until late August.
Upon his return, Harper would help the Phillies grab the final Wild Card spot and make their first postseason appearance in 11 seasons. The 2022 postseason was Bryce Harper’s best performance in the playoffs. Harper would finally win a playoff series; he’d hit .349 with six home runs and 13 RBI last October. He was virtually unstoppable in the NLDS and NLCS. Harper would have what proved to be the game-winning hit in the NLCS against the Padres which earned him MVP honors. However, in the World Series, Harper struggled. He only hit .200 with one home run and two RBI. The Phillies would lose the World Series in six games to the much-hated Houston Astros. So far this season, Philadelphia is off to a rough start.
Time Is Ticking To Win A Championship
Bryce Harper has already entered his age-30 season. Time is ticking on him to win the World Series. Nobody can play professional sports forever. Harper has already missed the first month of this season due to recovering from Tommy John surgery. Originally slated to return at the all-star break, Harper returned much earlier than expected. However, he can’t play the field and can only be used again as a designated hitter.
Potentially Going From LeBron James To The Dan Marino of Baseball
Prior to 2022, many people thought that when Joe Girardi was originally hired, he’d be Harper’s ticket to a World Series ring. Heck, his old Nationals team hoisted the commissioners trophy ironically against the Astros a year after he left. Given how many major injuries he’s suffered, it makes me wonder how much longer he’ll be able to play at a high level. So far this season, the Phillies are making their 2022 World Series run seem like it was a mirage.
The pressure is on for Harper to win a World Series ring. I really believe that if he fails to win the World Series, then it’ll be one giant thing missing on an accomplished resume. His legacy is ultimately going to be defined by if he wins a World Series. If Harper really finishes his career without a ring, then it would be hard not to call him the Dan Marino of baseball. Like all that Harper has done, Marino had a very accomplished career as well, however, he never won a championship. It is actually Marino’s biggest regret to this day and Harper will have the same feeling as well.
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