Everything you need to know about Bryce Harper’s MVP Phillies season in 5 minutes

Bryce Harper had an MVP-caliber season for the Philadelphia Phillies

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper has been nominated for National League MVP this season.

The slugger had one of the best seasons of his career, and it was his best season since signing his lucrative contract with the Phillies ahead of the 2019 season. His numbers are certainly Most Valuable Player-worthy, but so are his competition’s numbers; he’s up against Padres wunderkind Fernando Tatis Jr. and Nationals star Juan Soto.

On the fence about who should be the MVP? Here’s everything you need to know about Harper’s MVP-caliber season:

Bryce Harper led MLB in multiple offensive categories

2021 was one of the best seasons of Harper’s career, and statistically, probably his best season since his first MVP year in 2015.

This year, he led MLB in slugging (.615), OPS (1.044), and OPS+ (179). He tied for the lead in doubles, with a career-high 42 two-baggers.

During his first MVP season, Harper also led MLB in slugging, OPS, and OPS+, and also led the NL in runs scored and home runs. By the logic of comparison, him leading in many of the same categories this year would suggest he’s certainly MVP-worthy.

Bryce Harper wasn’t an All-Star in 2021

In retrospect, this is absolutely absurd. It was crazy at the time, too, but after seeing his summer and fall numbers, Harper not being a 2021 All-Star was a mistake.

At the time the All-Stars were announced, Harper was left off, but Mookie Betts made the cut. Harper’s slash line was better, and he had more home runs than Betts, despite playing in 11 fewer games. Harper was absolutely snubbed.

Bryce Harper wasn’t satisfied with his season

At the end of the regular season, despite putting up some of the best numbers of his career, Harper wasn’t satisfied. Instead, he spoke about feeling like he let everyone down:

“On a personal note, after those three games, I felt like I let my team down. It felt like I let the city of Philadelphia down.”

He was referring to his struggles against the Braves in September, when he fell apart at the plate. However, after a season in which he carried the offense for so many games, he has nothing to apologize for. If not for him, those games wouldn’t have even mattered.

Bryce Harper kept the Phillies relevant in September

If not for Harper, the Phillies season would have been over in August, maybe even sooner. His offensive power kept them in contention longer than expected, and they were duking it out with the Atlanta Braves right down to the wire in the final month of the season.

And while the Phillies’ season did not culminate in a postseason run, they did have their first winning season since 2011, and Harper played a part in that. They were exactly one game over .500 after a decade of mediocrity. It’s progress.