There was a time when Bryce Harper was arguably over-hyped. Once on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a teenager, Harper would later be selected first overall in the 2010 MLB Draft. Although he started his big league career strong (Harper earned an All-Star selection and won the National League Rookie of the Year in 2012), it was Los Angeles Angels rookie Mike Trout who displayed immediate Hall of Fame potential. In 2015, though, Harper finally displayed the elite star-power many had projected for him. Harper crushed 42 home runs while recording a 1.109 OPS en route to earning the National League MVP.
Since 2015, Harper has continued to cement himself as one of baseball's best players. He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019 and would later win his second NL MVP in 2021. In addition to his two MVP awards, Harper has earned eight career All-Star selections.
Harper is clearly a superstar and is probably a future Hall of Famer. However, when the best current players in baseball conversation is brought up, stars such as Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are often mentioned. Harper is rarely regarded as a candidate for the current best player in the sport.
His numbers, however, suggest that he deserves more respect. Harper has suddenly become underrated.
Bryce Harper is underrated?
The Phillies recently clinched the National League East. Harper is having a down year by his standards, but he will likely still receive some level of MVP consideration. After all, a down season for Harper is a dream year for most other players.
The 32-year-old is currently hitting .264/.358/.503 to go along with an .861 OPS. He's hit 27 home runs and 31 doubles while stealing 12 bases across 123 games played. Harper has been especially consistent over the years as well.
He's recorded an .877 OPS or better in each season since 2017. Harper has hit at least 30 or more home runs in five separate seasons. He has also made the transition from the outfield to first base without too much trouble. Additionally, Harper offers an overlooked element of baserunning prowess, having finished with double-digit stolen bases in nine of his 14 years in the big leagues.
So, why has Bryce Harper become underrated?
Consistency doesn't jump off the page
Ohtani and Judge are seemingly breaking records almost every week. They often seem to accomplish feats that haven't been seen since MLB legends like Babe Ruth. Of course, Ohtani's two-way prowess as a pitcher and a hitter only boost his level as a superstar.
Harper, meanwhile, hasn't had as many historic seasons. He's been extremely consistent, but Harper's Baseball Reference page doesn't feature as many bold numbers as you may think (bold numbers represent statistics a player has led the league in).
Bryce Harper is the kind of player franchises dream about building around. And it isn't as if he isn't flashy — Harper has one of the best home run swings in the sport. While Judge and Ohtani are breaking records and accomplishing feats that haven't been seen before, Harper is somewhat quietly recording quality numbers on a consistent basis.
MLB fans are aware of how talented Harper is, but his performance hasn't been quite as jaw-dropping as the aforementioned players. Harper likely doesn't care about being underrated as an individual player, though, as his primary focus is on leading the Phillies to the World Series.
A championship would go a long way toward cementing his legacy as one of the greatest players to ever step foot on an MLB field.
