Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper has been named an MVP finalist in the National League. Harper is going up against Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres, and Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals.

Harper had an incredible season for the Phillies but it might be tough for him to walk away with this award. Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis both had incredible years. In most seasons, if any of these three players had the year that they had, they would be walking away with an MVP. Harper on the season hit an incredible .309/.429/.1044. He led the National League in doubles, slugging, OPS, and OPS+. Harper also belted 35 home runs and had 100 walks.

Harper had an incredible season and could very well win the MVP award. Let's take a look at some reasons why the Phillies Slugger will walk away with the MVP.

Three Reasons Why Harper Will Win MVP

3. Missing the postseason won't matter

This is huge for Harper because in previous Seasons it would be rare that somebody who does not make the playoffs wins the MVP award. Harper undoubtedly had the best season out of the three candidates. If Soto or Tatis had made the playoffs with their respective clubs, they probably would walk away with the MVP award. Luckily for Harper, none of these three made the playoffs and because of that, voters cannot hold postseason appearances against the three players.

Article Continues Below
More Phillies News
Philadelphia Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski before game against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park.
Phillies rumors: Dave Dombrowski rival makes confident trade deadline predictionColin Loughran ·
Philadelphia Phillies third base Alec Bohm (28) hits an RBI single during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park.
Phillies rumors: The brutally historic reason Philadelphia needs CF help at trade deadlineJackson Stone ·
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the second inning at Citizens Bank Park.
Phillies ball boy bare hands Kyle Schwarber foul chopperZachary Howell ·
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning in game four of the NLDS.
Phillies’ Ranger Suarez issues confident admission after dominant outing vs. Blue JaysJosh Davis ·
Apr 11, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) walks off the field after the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Phillies’ Aaron Nola provides update on his injuryMike Gianakos ·
Philadelphia Phillies third base Alec Bohm (28) is congratulated after he scored a run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at BayCare Ballpark.
Phillies news: MLB Network drops intriguing Alec Bohm breakdownZachary Draves ·

2. He had the best season

There's really no question about what Harper did this season. The other two both had incredible Seasons but when you look at the numbers, Harper simply outperformed them. Not only did Harper perform the best throughout the whole entire season, but he had an incredible month of September where his team was still making a playoff push. Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis both had great Seasons but Harper outperformed both of them.

1. He was the reason why the Phillies saw some success

Harper truly did everything for the Philadelphia Phillies this season. The other two players' teams both had major disappointing years. Fernando Tatis and his Padres team we're undoubtedly the most disappointing team in baseball. The voters would usually look at a playoff appearance to determine who the MVP should be. Since none of these three made the playoffs, it would only be fair to give Harper the upper hand. He did carry this Phillies team to a playoff race deep into the season.

Harper did have a disappointing Series against the world champion Atlanta Braves. It would be unfair of the voters to hold that against him as that was really the only series all season long that he performed to that standard. Harper did everything that he could and left it all on the field all season long for the Phillies and was the main reason that they were in a playoff race. The way that Harper plays every day is something that every other big Leaguer should take note of. He plays every game like it's the last game he's going to ever play and that is definitely something that voters should take into account.