Bryce Harper Stats: Exploring the Brilliance of a Baseball Phenom
Can Phillies Win Despite Harper's Power Outage?
From time to time we like to check in with some of Major League Baseball’s great players so we can examine how exactly their presence in the line-up affects how we view teams before placing our money behind them. There’s no better example than Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies who missed time this season after Tommy John surgery. The injury caused the Las Vegas native to miss 32 games in 2023. Let’s dive into Bryce Harper’s statistics and their impact on the Phillies.
Update: Bryce Harper Stats Now
Harper’s Heroics: Can Phillies Bag a World Series Victory Since 2008?
Baseball has its heroes, and Bryce Harper stands tall among them. Remember the teen from Vegas with monstrous home runs? He caught everyone’s eye, and while the Washington Nationals grabbed him first, Philly seemed to be calling his name.
Since 2019, Harper’s been a sensation for the Philadelphia Phillies. By 2021, he was holding his second NL MVP trophy, setting the scene ablaze. This dynamo was pivotal in pushing the Phillies towards the World Series in 2022, even clinching the NLCS MVP. Fast forward to 202’s Bryce Harper stats: what can we expect?
Rewinding to 2022, the Phillies returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2011. That season, they seemed invincible. From the Wild Card to the Division and the Championship Series, the team was on fire. And guess who was at the center of it all? Harper!
Recall the electric moment in Game 5 versus the Padres? Harper’s game-winning home run sent the Phillies to their first World Series since 2009. They came close, but like in 2009 against the Yankees, they fell short in 2022 against the Astros. Fast forward to 2023; following an average season, the Phillies are back with a bang. In the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Harper and Nick Castellanos are rewriting home run records. Harper’s switch to first base, though new to him, has been a game-changer. Recent Bryce Harper stats speak volumes.
It’s mind-boggling how quickly Harper bounced back from Tommy John surgery, much quicker than most. Makes you wonder if he’s even human.
Harper’s not just about smashing balls out of the park. He gets the game, and he gets Philly. Recall when Rhys Hoskins had his ACL injury in Spring Training 2023? With Harper also sidelined, things looked bleak. But then, like a master strategist, Harper suggested a few position changes that reshaped the team. The moves were nothing short of genius, as vouched by infield coach Bobby Dickerson, who was left echoing Turner’s sentiments, calling Harper “Superman”.
So, as the Phillies chase their third World Series title, all eyes are on Harper. Can he lead them to glory?
Bryce Harper Stats Before Today:
Time to Worry About Power Drought?
Bryce Harper’s career statistics show the 30-year-old 12 homers shy of 300, but Harper’s bombs have not been as frequent in 2023 as they have been in the past with just three homers in 41 games. Played that out over the course of a MLB season, and the 12-year veteran would finish with a grand total of 12, a far cry from the 26 Harper has averaged over his career.
The Phillies’ major home-run threat would be higher if he didn’t miss significant time over the last three seasons (188 total games). With Harper in a long ball drought that dates back to May 25th, is this the time to be concerned that the 7-time all-star came back too early? Not according to Harper who is confident that the homers will come.
Despite the confidence, Harper is experiencing the third-longest homer drought in his career heading into play Wednesday, but that’s not all bettors should be concerned with just four extra-base hits in his last 22 games. It’s reasonable to give Harper the benefit of the doubt, but the Phillies’ clean-up hitter must start cleaning up with bombs if the Phillies want to stay in the National League East race. Let’s dive into how Bryce Harper’s statistics from a betting perspective.
Even With Harper, Phillies Unreliable Wager
At 38-35, the Philadelphia Phillies are -547 units for bettors this MLB season (20th in baseball). They’ve been an underdog 27 times in 2023 (Check out our How to Bet Favorites vs Underdogs? betting guide), losing 16 times while costing bettors 389 units. We know they’re not too far off from finding success again with a respectable home record of 19-12, but if they hope to close the gap in the National League East, their road record must improve (19-23, -699 units).
A look at Bryce Harper’s statistics shows that the former CCSN Coyote came back to the Phil’s line-up on May 2nd. A closer look at Harper’s game logs shows that the Phillies unfortunately have not piled on the wins for the public even with Harper back. Before May 2nd, Philadelphia was 15-15 (-317 units). After, Philadelphia is 23-20, but still not good enough to turn a profit (-230 units).
They still struggle in the role of an underdog with a 5-8 record (-259 units) since Harper’s return. Philadelphia averages 4.41 runs per game, 18th in baseball even though MLB statistics show the Phil’s in the upper half in most major pitching and hitting categories. With that being the case, one is left to wonder where the Phillies would be if their superstar would dip in the past to find some of that old Bryce Harper who continues to chase his first MLB World Series win.
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