Sep 22

Sep 22 Bryce Harper - Major League Baseball's best players

Bryce Harper: One of MLB’s finest players

In a new series, Kerry Kauffman profiles some of the most famous names in Major League Baseball, past and present. First up is the Phillies big-hitting left-hander, Bryce Harper.

Bryce Harper’s early years and junior career

Bryce Harper was born on October 16, 1992, and was a standout star that had professional scouts touting him at a very young age. In fact, Harper earned his General Educational Development (GED) as a sophomore in high school in order to be eligible for the 2010 Major League Baseball draft.

As a 17-year-old Harper played at the College of Southern Nevada of the SWAC, a conference that used wooden bats, unlike aluminium bats in most other conferences. He dominated play, hitting .443 with 31 home runs and 98 RBI in 66 games, earning him 2010 SWAC Player of the Year. In addition, Harper won the Golden Spikes Award which is given to the top amateur baseball player in the United States.

MLB, A-Ball and the Washington Nationals

Selected first by the Washington Nationals in the 2010 draft, Harper was transitioned from catcher to outfielder. He was chosen to play in the Arizona Fall League and hit .343 as the second-youngest player to even appear in the league. The following spring training, Harper hit an impressive .399 and was assigned to Hagerstown of the Class-A South Atlantic League. Getting off to a poor start, Harper took off after receiving contact lenses, hitting nearly .500 over the next 20 games.

Harper was promoted to the Harrisburg Senators (Class AA) in July of 2011 and advanced to Syracuse (Class AAA) to start the 2012 season. After Ryan ZImmerman went down with an injury, Harper was called up to the Nationals and recorded his first major league hit in his third at-bat.

When Harper slugged his first major league home run on May 14, he was the youngest to do so since 1998. Later in the season, Harper became the youngest position player to ever make the All-Star game. For the season, he hit 22 home runs, 98 runs scored and a .477 slugging percentage, earning NL Rookie of the Year honours.

In 2013, Harper slugged 13 home runs over the first 58 games, earning a spot in the 2013 Home Run Derby. Overall, he hit .274 with 20 home runs and 58 RBI in 118 games. Harper was limited the following season due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb, putting him out of action more than two months. In 100 games, Harper hit .273 with 13 home runs and 32 RBI.

2015 - Harper’s breakout season

In 2015 Harper put it all together, hitting mammoth home runs in the process. His 461-foot blast against the Phillies on April 18 was the longest of his career. He also launched a 442-foot shot into the upper deck against the Marlins on May 6. When all was said and done, Harper belted 42 home runs and had over 120 walks. He was named Baseball America player of the year and unanimous NL MVP, becoming the youngest player to ever win the award unanimously.

Harper made his 100th career home run a memorable one, blasting a grand slam against the Atlanta Braves on April 14, 2016. His 12 RBI for the week earning him NL Player of the Week honours. Showing great plate discipline and respect from opposing pitchers, Harper tied an MLB record with six walks in a game against the Cubs on May 8. Although a clear drop from his MVP campaign, Harper still hit 24 home runs w

Clearly a player to rise to the occasion, Harper hit walk-off home runs on April 16 and then again on May 13. Harper was the top vote-getter for the National League for the 2017 All-Star Game. A month later Harper surpassed another career milestone by hitting his 150th home run, two months shy of his 25th birthday. He missed significant time for the third time in his career due to a hyper-extended left knee, but still ended up with 29 home runs and 87 RBI in 111 games.

Harper struggled with his batting average during the first half of the 2018 season, but was drawing lots of walks and entered the All-Star break with 21 home runs. He raised his batting average to a respectable .249 by season’s end with 34 home runs and a career-best 130 walks. He entered the 2018 off-season as the most coveted free agent in the league.

Show me the money - Harper goes to the Phillies

Bryce Harper earns a lot of money playing baseball for the Phillies

After a long battle, the Philadelphia Phillies won the Harper sweepstakes, signing him to a 13-year, $330 million contract. His first blast for the Phillies was a 465-foot shot to the second deck in right field on March 31. He also had an early-season grand slam against the Cardinals and walk-off double against the Dodgers. Harper’s most memorable moment came against the Cubs on August 15, launching a walk-off grand slam. Although the Phillies missed the playoffs, Harper hit 35 home runs with a career-best 114 RBI.

Entering the 2020 season, Harper had a career .276 batting average with 219 home runs and 635 RBI.