Phillies top four 2019 MLB All-Star Game candidates
By John Town
No. 3: Bryce Harper
The $330 million man should be no surprise on the list. The Phillies signed Bryce Harper to be a star, and while he hasn’t been the very best player this year, he has still been pretty good.
In 38 games so far this year, Harper has a .235/.381/.463 line with a 122 OPS+, seven home runs, 25 runs batted in, and 63 total bases. He leads the league in both walks with 30 (good) and strikeouts with 49 (not so good). Among qualified NL hitters, Harper has the best walk rate (17.9%), 12th-best on-base percentage(.381), 26th-best wRC+ (125), and 30th-best OPS (.844).
Harper made the All-Star Game last season despite a universally-criticized first half. He hit just .214 with 102 strikeouts in 94 games. He still managed an .833 OPS and hit 23 home runs, which is what ultimately landed him a spot in the All-Star Game. The fact that the game was played in Washington helped too.
Harper has a better OPS this year than he did last year in the first half. However, his home run numbers haven’t been as gaudy as he is on pace to hit 16 or so some home runs by the All-Star Break. The increased competition among NL outfielders could also make things harder for Harper.
On the flip side, this is Harper at nearly his worst with such a high strikeout rate. Even still, he is managing a high OBP and above-average OPS. Assuming he turns things around in the coming weeks, his case to make the All-Star Game will get a lot better.