For the first time in Bryce Harper’s career with the Philadelphia Phillies, he has earned the National League Player of the Week award.
Philadelphia Phillies‘ right-fielder and designated hitter Bryce Harper earned National League Player of the Week for the first time in his Phillies career on Monday. He’s earned seven total throughout his 11-year career, six of which were with the Washington Nationals.
Your N.L. Player of the Week: Bryce Harper. pic.twitter.com/meqYY7yzxz
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 16, 2022
Harper is one of the strongest players on the Phillies and it’s impressive that he continues to thrive, despite a UCL tear preventing him from fielding. Over the weekend, he made history at Dodger Stadium as the first visiting player to produce a home run and at least two extra-base hits in three consecutive games. He may be limited to batting for now, but he is certainly not limiting the team.
Harper’s strong ability this season shouldn’t come as a surprise. He’s been a consistently strong player since joining the Phillies and had one of his strongest seasons with the team in 2021. He stood out enough to win his second National League MVP award that year, but the NL Player of the Week award was a long-awaited achievement.
The NL Player of the Week award is one he deserved to win with the Phillies much earlier than this season, and the achievement of winning it while being injured is a good way to show how strong of a player he truly is. Despite his injury, he has a high batting average of .305, the fourth-highest on the team. He leads the team in RBIs, a total of 27, and is tied with left fielder Kyle Schwarber for most home runs, a total of nine.
Harper has proven to be one of the strongest assets for the Phillies, healthy or injured, and his 2022 NL Player of the Week award is highly deserved.