When you think of the Philadelphia Phillies, the first player you probably think of is Bryce Harper.
Harper has been a household name since entering the league in 2012 with the Washington Nationals.
The spotlight has been zoned in on Harper since he was put on the Sports Illustrated cover in 2009 at just 16 years old.
Earlier in his career, Harper appeared to be a bit of a hothead and has been involved in many altercations during games.
According to The Athletic’s Jayson Stark, an anonymous longtime baseball executive says he has completely changed what he thought about Harper.
"I've completely changed what I thought about Bryce Harper," a longtime baseball exec told me last week. "I've come to respect the hell out of that guy."
Matt does a fantastic job here explaining how the 31-year-old Bryce has evolved. https://t.co/LNTazvilMX
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) September 26, 2024
Harper spent his first 7 years in Major League Baseball with the Nationals and the last 6 seasons with the Phillies.
It appears as if Harper is maturing as his career moves forward.
Now regularly playing first base, Harper speaks to all of the younger players as they get to first base.
He says that it has helped him love baseball even more and seems to be changing the opinion of long-time baseball executives.
Harper has had an exceptional career thus far with a Rookie of the Year award in his first season and Most Valuable Player awards in 2015 with the Nationals and in 2021 with the Phillies.
In 2024, Harper is batting .286 with 30 home runs, 87 runs batted in, and a .902 on-base plus slugging percentage.
The Phillies have made the postseason the last 2 seasons and have clinched the National League East in 2024.
Harper and the Phillies will enter the 2024 postseason looking for their 3rd World Series Title in franchise history.
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