Bryce Harper could make history by winning prestigious MLB award with Phillies

Since 1999 – the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron surpassing Babe Ruth’s home run record – Major League Baseball has honored one player in each league with the Hank Aaron Award.

Named for one of the greatest players in the history of the game, the accolade goes to “the best overall offensive performer” in the AL and NL. This will be the first year of the award since Aaron’s passing in January, days before his 87th birthday.

To say Henry Louis Aaron’s MLB career was magnificent feels like an understatement. In 23 seasons, he was a 25-time All-Star, and no, that’s not a typo. He hit 755 home runs, won two batting titles, three Gold Gloves, an MVP award, and the 1957 World Series. His 2,297 RBI hold the all-time record.

Bryce Harper is nominated for MLB’s Hank Aaron Award

Only one Philadelphia Phillies player has ever received the prestigious honor – Ryan Howard in 2006 – but that could change if Bryce Harper wins this year. He was also nominated last year, but the award went to his division rival, Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman.

This year’s National League nominees are Harper, Juan Soto (Nationals), Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres), Nick Castellanos (Reds), Brandon Crawford (Giants), Freeman, and Paul Goldschmidt (Cardinals).

But if Harper wins, he will make history as the only player to win the award for two different NL teams. The same could be said for Goldschmidt, who won with the Diamondbacks in 2013, but it’s unlikely he could edge out his competition.

Bryce Harper could be the first National League player to win the Hank Aaron Award on two different teams

Manny Ramirez became the first AL player to win a Hank Aaron for two teams; he won in its inaugural year with Cleveland, and again with Boston in 2004. A few years later, Alex Rodriguez, who’d won three years in a row with the Rangers from 2001-2003, won again with the Yankees in 2007.

A few National League players have won the award multiple times – Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich – but each repeated with the same team. Harper won the award in 2015 as a Washington National, and is nominated this year as a Phillie.

2015 was also the year Harper won his first NL MVP award, another accomplishment he could repeat this year.

This season, Harper hit .309/.429/.615 with a 1.044 OPS, 35 home runs, 42 doubles, 84 RBI, and 101 runs scored. He led MLB in slugging, OPS, OPS+, and doubles, which also set a new career-high.

In addition to the Hall of Fame voter panel, fans can cast their votes for the AL and NL Hank Aaron Award.