The Phillies think Bryce Harper should’ve won NL Player of the Month over C.J. Cron
Is Bryce Harper doomed to be underappreciated for the rest of his Philadelphia Phillies career?
It certainly feels that way this week, because he wasn’t named NL Player of the Month.
Instead, C.J. Cron took home the award. He deserves it, but so did Harper and probably a few others.
Suffice to say, the Phillies are a bit salty. But is it really being salty if Harper was definite POTM material?
Social media teams have templates and ready-made graphics for all kinds of milestones and awards, so of course, the Phillies had something ready for Harper, just in case. But when he didn’t win, the social crew figured they’d show him some love anyway, and throw a little shade at MLB for picking the wrong guy (in their opinion, anyway):
We can't let all the Player of the Month content we had prepared go to waste, now can we?
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 3, 2021
(Fwiw, he had our vote.) pic.twitter.com/QKWTAwBvLw
Let’s back up this shade with some facts:
In August, Harper outdid Cron – and every other MLB player – in fWAR and extra-base hits.
Cron (26 games): .387/.463/.828, 1.291 OPS, eight doubles, 11 HR, 34 RBI, 13 BB, 21 SO
Harper (28 games): .337/.455/.776, 1.231 OPS, 11 doubles, one triple, 10 HR, 25 RBI, 22 BB, 21 SO
Cron edges Harper in various categories, and Harper edges right back.
Coors Field gives C.J. Cron a serious advantage
But it’s also worth noting that Cron plays at the hitter’s paradise known as Coors Field, which has been padding offensive stats for years. According to Fantasy Pros, it’s the only MLB ballpark that “boosts run-scoring by more than 10%.” With 1.000 being a neutral run-scoring environment, Coors Field ranked first at 1.348, with Nationals Park coming in second at 1.096. Harper’s home at Citizens Bank Park was way down the list at a mere 1.055.
Coors and CBP are the top second and third homer-amplifying ballparks, but Coors again has the edge, 1.257 compared to Philly’s 1.202. In fact, Coors ranks first in runs, singles, and triples, and they’re second in home runs and doubles.
It’s fair to ask what Cron’s numbers would be if he called a different park home.
Can Bryce Harper become the first MVP for the Phillies since Jimmy Rollins in 2007?
Ultimately, Harper has bigger fish to fry than Player of the Month. His total season value has been much higher than Cron’s and most other players. He leads all of MLB in OPS and has the highest wRC+ of any player since June 11.
If Harper can keep it up, he’ll take home a much better prize.