The Philadelphia Phillies are on life support heading into Game 6 of the 2022 World Series. For as good as their unexpected postseason run has been as the number six seed in the National League, the Phillies are on the verge of coming up just short, as they are down 3-2 with the series shifting back to Houston. Regardless of what happens, though, it's clear Bryce Harper's playoff performance won't be forgotten for quite some time.
Considering they were the sixth seed in the NL, it was clear Philly would need some things to break their way in order for them to stick around in the playoffs, let alone make it all the way to the World Series. This isn't to say that they are lucky and don't deserve to be in the World Series, but it's clear that they have gotten a great performance out of Harper at the perfect time.
There have been some legendary postseason performances throughout the Phillies history, but as the playoffs have continued, and Harper has continued to produce, it's become more and more obvious that his performance is at the top of that list. Let's take a look at three reasons why that is the case, regardless of whether Philadelphia's season ends on Saturday night or not.
3. Bryce Harper has been on fire all throughout the postseason
It goes without saying that in order for Harper to make this list, he would have to be posting some pretty gaudy hitting numbers. And all throughout the playoffs, that has been the case. From the get go, Harper has been on an absolute tear this postseason, and he's a big reason Philadelphia has made it as far as they have in the playoffs.
Throughout the playoffs as a whole, Harper is hitting .373 with six home runs and 13 RBIs while sporting an outrageous OPS of 1.236. Not only is Harper the main source of run production in Philadelphia's lineup, but he's also getting on base at a very high clip to set up run scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Through Game 2 of the World Series, Harper had been sporting a batting average over .400, which is really a testament to how well he had been playing on the biggest stage for the Phillies. Harper was going up against the best pitchers in the league and hitting at an absurd clip and whille he has cooled off recently, that leads us to the second point on our list here.
2. The Astros have practically stopped pitching to Bryce Harper in the World Series
Harper's average has fallen under .400 because the Astros have basically stopped pitching to him. Considering how well Harper was playing, it makes sense, but Houston isn't giving Harper a chance to beat them right now, and it's not surprising to see them take a lead in the series now that they have limited his production.
After he spurred the Phillies comeback in Game 1 of the World Series, Houston hasn't given Harper many opportunities to lead his team to a win. He's hitting just .167, but his OPS is .875 because he's still getting on base. Harper has been trying to continue to produce despite getting far less to hit than he was earlier in the playoffs, and while he's not exactly hitting at a high rate, his patience is helping Philadelphia's lineup.
Harper has only logged four total at-bats over the past two games of the World Series, and it remains to be seen whether the Phillies can win without him being given an opportunity to drive in runs. But the fact of the matter is that the Astros have changed the tides of this series by refusing to pitch to Harper, and that alone speaks to how productive he has been throughout the playoffs.
1. Bryce Harper has continually provided the Phillies with timely hits
It's one thing to get hits throughout the playoffs, but it's another thing to make the most of those hits, and that's precisely what Harper has done throughout the postseason. Harper has constantly delivered game-changing hits for Philadelphia, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him do so to keep the Phillies alive in the World Series.
Harper had the big home run early in Game 2 of the Wild Card series against the St. Louis Cardinals that ended up being all the run support Philadelphia needed to send the Cardinals packing. He also helped pick apart the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS before hitting the game-winning home run in Game 5 of the NLCS that punched Philadelphia's ticket to the World Series.
Anytime the Phillies offense has had a successful game in the playoffs, Harper has been at the center of it. It may ultimately not end up leading to a championship, but there's no denying it at this point. Harper's playoff performance is among the most legendary in the history of the MLB, and it is certainly the best in the Phillies history.
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