Bryce Harper Somehow Has Room For Immense Improvement

The biggest superstar in Major League Baseball will begin his first full-time season at a new position in 2024. Bryce Harper transitioned to first base beginning in July 2023. It looks like the Philadelphia Phillies, a team that’s succeeded despite below average fielding in recent seasons, has upgraded with the defensive realignment.

The position shuffle will benefit Harper's long-term health with less wear and tear than he would've experienced in right field. It'll upgrade one position defensively, enable Rob Thomson to optimize the overall defensive lineup, and allow Harper to return to a role that hasn't been possible since 2021 as the franchise centerpiece during the entire length of the regular season.  

Tom McCarthy spoke on 97.5 The Fanatic about the impact of the position switch. He’s comfortable calling Harper an upgrade over Rhys Hoskins.

The Phillies play-by-play broadcaster just made a bold prediction about a player who only played 49 regular-season and postseason games at first since the position switch. However, Phillies fans saw the dynamic superstar transition smoothly late in the 2023 season. He announced his natural ability at all points of the diamond with an excellent game against the Cleveland Guardians on July 21 in his first start after the switch.

The numbers support McCarthy’s claim about the upgrade over Hoskins, who signed with the Milwaukee Brewers after a memorable six seasons in Philadelphia. Harper finished above the MLB median in the defensive runs saved (DRS) metric in 36 regular-season games at first. Hoskins improved late in his tenure, but he racked up -6 DRS in four seasons as a full-time first baseman. 

Harper’s athleticism isn’t difficult to recognize in the field. Larry Bowa spoke on 97.5 The Fanatic about how the two-time National League MVP will experience a bigger adjustment with familiarity on cutoff plays, how to handle infield bunt rotations, and the awareness of a responsibility on every play after spending so many seasons in the outfield.

First base might not look like the hardest position. Remember the fictional line from Ron Washington in Moneyball before taking it for granted though.

Experience playing a position gives major leaguers better ability to anticipate plays and work with a team's collective defensive execution. Bowa has no doubt that Harper can handle the adjustment over time. 

Harper has maintained his status as the face of the Philadelphia Phillies despite missing 99 games the past two seasons. The addition of the designated hitter (DH) to the National League, the position change to first base, and the fortunate and timely health of Bryce Harper during the postseason has distracted from the reality that his lack of availability has limited his overall impact.

An unforgettable 2022 NLCS home run and intimidating trash talk against the Atlanta Braves will inevitably steal the hearts of Philadelphia fans. However, Harper finished with a WAR of 10.3 in the first two 162-game seasons of his current 13-year contract. The number dipped to 6.2 in 2022 and 2023 combined.

A better acclimation in Spring Training, a (presumably) healthy start to 2024, and the comfort level of an everyday position should get Harper into a better rhythm to return to MVP impact over a full MLB season.

The position shuffle also allows Kyle Schwarber to move to the DH spot in a full-time capacity. Alec Bohm won't have nearly as many interruptions to his excellent progress at third base. It allows Thomson further lineup flexibility after two seasons when getting Harper into the lineup in any capacity took priority.

The Phillies have won five playoff series in two seasons without these advantages. Harper has somehow reached a legendary status among the fan base in the meantime. Imagine what he does with added room for improvement.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.