Bryce Harper Is 1 Of The Greatest Playoff Performers Ever
Bryce Harper has never won a ring. Like many sports greats, it is something that hangs over his head, that has some fans discounting him as a great player altogether….
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 06: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning against the New York Mets in Game Two of the Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 06, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
(Photo by Heather Barry/Getty Images)Bryce Harper has never won a ring. Like many sports greats, it is something that hangs over his head, that has some fans discounting him as a great player altogether. But forget that for 1 moment. Baseball, more than maybe any sport is a sport where no one player can win by themselves. And if you look at his performance alone, Bryce Harper is one of the best of all time.
Bryce Harper's Stats In the Playoffs
(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)You might that say it hyperbolic, or call me a homer, but it is true. The stats back it up. His Slugging % in the playoffs with the Phillies is .746. Babe Ruth has a career playoff SLG of .744. Lou Gehrig has a career playoff SLG of .731. Even if you throw in Harper's time with the Nationals, his SLg% in the playoff is .629, the 6th highest in baseball history.
His playoff OPS in the playoffs as a Phillie is 1.175. The only people with a higher Playoff OPS are once again Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Harper overall is 7th at 1.024. It is not a small sample size either. Harper has played more playoff games than both Ruth and Gehrig.
He and Schwarber are currently tied for the most playoff HRs in Phillies history at 12. This is a team with Ryan Howard, Mike Schmidt, and Chase Utley all playing a significant amount of playoff games. Harper, and also Schwarber by the way, have been better than them in the playoffs.
These numbers tell a story. They tell the story of Bryce Harper being one of the best playoff hitters of all time. Especially when he is wearing a Phillies jersey. He showed up in game 2 by hitting that 2-run shot to swing momentum, and then later being patient enough to draw 2 walks. He showed up last year with that 2 HR performance in game 3 vs the Braves. He showed up in 2022 when he had the swing of his life vs the Padres.
Jayson Stark Weighs in
But don't take my word for it, and don't just look at the stats. A Hall of Fame baseball writer said the same thing on our airwaves. Jayson Stark joined The Best Show Ever on Monday after game 2 and talked about this exact topic.
"I've watched baseball in Philadelphia my whole life, and I honestly believe no one who has played here, who I've covered, is quite like him. I mean that with the greatest respect. Utley, Howard, and Rollins were all great. Schmidt, Rose, and Bowa were all winners. But just go back and look at their postseasons and look at Bryce's.
Sometimes it feels like Bryce just has these moments almost on demand. He's already written this script, and then he does what's in the script, except that it's real life. The other thing that was so obvious now, more than ever, these teams like the Mets, they have already decided there's no way they're going to let that guy do what he did yesterday, and then he did it anyway. Don't take it for granted. It's special, it's different, and it's historic."
Appreciate what we get to see every night. He is a player who can have a big moment every at-bat. He always seems to live up to the moment. If in game 3 or 4, or any future game if the Phillies advance, they need a big hit, there is no one you would rather have at the plate. Not just on this team, but perhaps in MLB history.
