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.

“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

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.

“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

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. 

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