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Bryce Harper: The Most Clutch Player in Philadelphia Sports History

Any story about Game 3 of the NLDS starts and ends with the clutch performance from superstar outfielder Bryce Harper. When the Philadelphia Phillies signed Harper in 2019, they knew…

Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies rounds the bases against the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the NLDS
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images

Any story about Game 3 of the NLDS starts and ends with the clutch performance from superstar outfielder Bryce Harper.

When the Philadelphia Phillies signed Harper in 2019, they knew they were getting one of the most colorful personalities in baseball. However, they might not have known that the former first-overall pick would earn a reputation in Philadelphia sports history as the player who performs best at the biggest moments.

Bryce Harper Sinks Braves With Clutch Home Runs

Harper proved again that the cliche clutch gene is real. His three-run shot in the 4th inning built a 4-1 lead, and he added a solo home run in the 6th to stretch the lead to 7-1.

Slugging two home runs in a 10-2 rout against the Atlanta Braves wasn’t enough. The two-time MVP also brought the attitude the Phillies needed to go up against their NL East foe in the series of the year in the MLB Playoffs.

“Bryce Harper might be the most clutch player I’ve ever seen in Philadelphia…The guy just has it in him. There’s people that seem to play well in big moments, and there’s people that crave big moments. I think he’s the guy that craves it and does it.” -Bob Cooney on The John Kincade Show

Orlando Arcia poked the bear after Atlanta’s Game 2 victory. Harper’s aggressive baserunning style burned the Phillies in the 9th inning when an unlikely double play ended the game. The Braves infielder foolishly taunted Harper for the mistake.

Harper stared down Arcia while rounding the bases after both home runs. He embodied the confidence that the Phillies have shown against their arch-rival in two consecutive seasons. The Braves are on the ropes once again.

The Phillies are officially rolling, and their fearless superstar has the type of look in his eyes that opponents fear.

He spoke after Game 3 about overcoming the pressure that came as a former first-overall pick and reaching the point that every baseball player lives for. 

“That’s pressure. This is all cake, man. This is so much fun. This is what it’s all about, just coming in here and playing the game that I love. It’s not pressure anymore when you’re just playing and having fun.” -Bryce Harper

Harper Responds to Pressure

Philadelphia saw the flamboyant attitude of the anointed savior when he reached the majors with the Washington Nationals in 2012. Cole Hamels plunked the loudmouth rookie in a May series in Philadelphia, but Harper got the last laugh. He used the free base to steal home for the upstart Nationals, who ultimately dethroned the five-time defending NL East champs that season.

The script flipped in 2019 when Harper switched sides. He smacked a home run during his first weekend with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park and immediately thought to give a curtain call to a fan base that had already embraced him.

In Game 5 of the 2022 NLCS, his game-winning home run felt downright inevitable. The swing of his life earned him his first trip to the World Series. 

Bryce Harper: The Biggest MLB Superstar

Raul Ibanez spoke on The John Kincade Show before the MLB Playoffs began. The former Phillies outfielder gushed about Harper.

“Bryce Harper is a superstar, a magnetic personality, but at the same time, this guy plays hard. He cares about every pitch that’s thrown. He acts like every pitch is the last one he’s ever going to see. In the city of Philadelphia, they really appreciate that.” -Raul Ibanez

Wearing cleats with the Phillie Phanatic logo doesn’t make you a hero in Philadelphia. Harper has no intention of pandering his way into the history books. He wants a World Series, and he’s exactly the type of player who can carry a team on his back to win one.

“All I’m thinking about is the trophy. That’s all I want. That’s the moment, right? Broad Street.” -Bryce Harper

Watch The John Kincade Show live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on weekday mornings from 6am-10am.


When the Phillies signed Bryce Harper in 2019, they knew they were getting one of the most colorful personalities in baseball. However, they might not have known that the former first-overall pick would become one of the highlights of Philadelphia sports history as a player who saves his best performances for the biggest moments.

Bryce Harper Highlights: The Clutch Gene

When Harper steps to the plate at Citizens Bank Park, the crowd feels a sense of confidence. It’s typical for fans to get excited about a two-time National League MVP, but the fearless attitude that Harper carries takes things to a different level.

It could be within the frenzy of a Red October crowd or during a day game in May against a last-place team. At any given moment, opponents cannot underestimate Harper.

The Superstar Attitude

Philadelphia saw the flamboyant attitude of the anointed savior when he reached the majors with the Washington Nationals in 2012. Cole Hamels plunked the loudmouth rookie in a May series in Philadelphia, but Harper got the last laugh. He used the free base to steal home for the upstart Nationals. It was a spark for a team that ultimately dethroned the five-time defending NL East champs that season.

The tide turned when the Philadelphia Phillies signed Harper in 2019. A hated opponent immediately became a celebrated hero. He passed on wearing #34 out of respect for Roy Halladay. He put on the Phillie Phanatic cleats. The fans almost lost their minds after the curtain call that followed his first home run in red pinstripes.

A superstar comes up with a big play when his teammates turn to him in times of need. No professional athlete fits the definition better than Bryce Harper, and he has created some of the most incredible highlights that Phillies fans will ever see.

11 Best Bryce Harper Highlights

11. NLCS 2022: Early Home Run Quiets St. Louis Crowd

An unexpected comeback against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of the 2022 NL Wild Card Series gave the Phillies momentum in what would ultimately become a miracle run to the World Series. Harper stepped to the plate in Game 2 in front of the “Baseball Heaven” crowd at Busch Stadium with a trip to the NLDS on his mind. He went deep off Miles Mikolas in what proved to be the game-winning hit in a 2-0 series clincher.

10. Harper Stuns Doval, Giants (August 23, 2023)

After Harper returned from Tommy John surgery in 2023, he struggled to find his power stroke right away. However, the two-time MVP heated up toward the end of the season. When the Phillies trailed the San Francisco Giants in the 9h inning of a late August matchup, he stepped to the plate with two men on.

When Bryce Harper represents the tying run, he has one thing on his mind. His three-run blast off 25-year-old shutdown closer Camilo Doval tied the game 5-5 and set the crowd at Citizens Bank Park on fire.

9. NLDS 2022: Solo Shot Causes Panic in Atlanta

Momentum is invaluable in the MLB Playoffs. Harper’s home run in St. Louis quieted the crowd and set the tone for a road victory, and he repeated the feat 364 days later. His Game 1 home run off Spencer Strider at Truist Park pushed a sense of doubt into the Atlanta crowd. They were officially afraid of Harper and the red-hot Phillies.

8. NL Wild Card Series 2023: Blowing the Stop Sign

Phillies fans entered the 2023 postseason excited for another World Series run. The anticipation grew in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series when Bryce Harper brought the fearless attitude that first endeared him in Philadelphia.

The Phillies led 3-1 in the 8th inning, but Harper needed some insurance. He sped around from 1st base on a Nick Castellanos gapper while Dusty Wathan held up a stop sign around third (which Harper later claimed that he conveniently missed). The aggressive baserunning helped the Phillies to a 4-1 victory and a series sweep.

7. Debut at 1st Base (July 21, 2023)

Returning nearly two months earlier than expected wasn’t good enough for someone who operates on adrenaline more than any baseball player in the modern era. Harper wasn’t satisfied with staying in the DH spot. He took a crash course to play 1st base, and he looked like a Gold Glover from the first game he played. Natural athleticism and a team-first attitude provided Rob Thomson with lineup flexibility in a season Rhys Hoskins missed with a torn ACL.

6. NLDS 2022: Ambushing the Braves

When the Atlanta Braves traveled to Citizens Bank Park in the 2022 National League Division Series, they didn’t know what hit them. A 9-1 victory in Game 3 and an 8-3 victory in Game 4 sent the NL East champs home early. Harper put the Phillies up 6-0 with a two-run home run early in Game 3. He followed it up with a second home run the following day to stretch Philadelphia’s lead to 7-2 in a laugher to clinch the series. He finished 8/16 with an otherworldly 1.592 SLG% in the series.

5. Walk-Off Grand Slam (August 15, 2019)

The Phillies were hanging onto their Wild Card hopes in mid-August when the Chicago Cubs visited Philadelphia. A sweep presented the opportunity to put them in a great position in the standings, but they entered the 9th inning trailing 5-1. The Cubs felt a little tense when the Phillies cut the lead to two and loaded up the bases for one of the most feared hitters in the majors. Harper’s ball jumped off the bat, and not a single fan at Citizens Bank Park thought there was any chance it stayed in the yard. The newest superstar in the city sprinted around the bases and took a Gatorade cooler bath after crossing home plate.

4. NLCS 2022: A Lead in Game 1

Phillies fans remember Game 1 of the NLCS for the Kyle Schwarber moonshot in the 6th inning. However, it was Bryce Harper who broke the scoreless tie with a solo home run off Yu Darvish in the 4th inning. The Phillies won 2-0 on their way to a dominant series win.

3. World Series 2022: Blowout Puts Phillies Up 2-1

It was the closest the 2022 Phillies came to winning the ultimate prize. They blasted the Houston Astros 7-0 in Game 3 at Citizens Bank Park, improving their home record to 5-0 during the postseason. Harper got things started with a two-run shot in the bottom of the 1st inning. Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, Kyle Schwarber, and Rhys Hoskins followed suit with homers of their own. In the moment, they looked unstoppable.

2. NLDS 2023: "Atta Boy" Staredown of Orlando Arcia

Orlando Arcia poked the bear. Harper’s aggressive baserunning style burned the Phillies on a game-ending double play in Game 2 of the 2023 NLDS. Arcia’s taunting backfired. Harper came out in Game 3 with the fire that’s endeared him to the Philadelphia fans as much as any Phillie in history.

His three-run home run in the 4th inning put the Phillies ahead 4-1. As he rounded second base, he stared down the shortstop with an implication that needed no explanation. He resent the message with an identical staredown after a home run to dead center field two innings later.

1. NLCS 2022: The National League Champions

It was inevitable. When Bryce Haper stepped to the plate in the 8th inning of the 2022 NLCS, every single fan at Citizens Bank Park thought about the moment that just fell into place in front of them. No rain storm could stop him. The ensuing moment sent the Red October crowd into a frenzy. Harper’s opposite-field shot earned him the NLCS MVP. It immediately became the highlight of his career and one of the best moments in the history of a franchise that’s been sound since 1883. 

Colin Newby is a contributor for 97.5 The Fanatic who transitions Beasley Media's radio content onto digital platforms. His work includes on-site coverage of the Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia Phillies.