Despite Philadelphia Phillies masher Kyle Schwarber officially announcing his participation in the Home Run Derby for this week's Midsummer Classic, the slugger all diehard fans should secretly hope takes home the trophy, and Liberty Bell bling, is none other than Mr. Philadelphia himself, Bryce Harper.
Having arguably his best season since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2023, Harper was deservedly selected as a "Legend Pick" by Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred. That pick represents an honorary roster spot chosen directly by the MLB Commissioner to celebrate the sport's iconic active players, a role Harper has certainly held since stepping onto baseball's biggest stage, embracing Philadelphia and putting the city on his back once officially becoming "Our Guy" in 2019.
Upon arrival in this great city, Phillies fans across the country held out hope that No. 3 would single-handedly bring the franchise into the Renaissance that we know today when he first arrived, but after a satisfying last Derby entry, he had us convinced we'd never see him do this again.
“I'm not going to do it unless I'm going to try to win it,” Harper said of the Home Run Derby this week after being named to the roster. “You know what I'm saying? I'm not going out there just to have fun; like, I want to win the thing.” Harper last won the Home Run Derby as a member of the Washington Nationals in 2018, who hosted the events in their home stadium that year. Knowing Harper delivered for the home crowd once before has echoed in Phillies fans' heads since the announcement that the All-Star Game would be held in Philadelphia years ago.
Bryce Harper has gone from All-Star to Home Run Derby frontrunner
"I'm not going to do something if I'm going to have a half-hearted mentality towards it, because I'm worried about the pitcher, or I'm worried about what's going to happen, or anything else. If I'm going to do it, I want to be full bore and very confident in winning it." That mentality is what could lead the
33-year-old to victory, adding another impressive accolade to his resume during his tenure with the Phillies, as he continues a career year at first base and plays in his ninth All-Star Game for the National League.
"Derby at home? Sure, why not? #HRD," Harper posted on Instagram, solidifying his place amongst the few selected for this year's contest. He's committed alongside some of the MLB's youngest stars in Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals, Jac Caglianone of the Kansas City Royals, Ben Rice of the New York Yankees, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, and the two biggest threats to Harper's path to victory: Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras, who will be able to participate despite his recent five-game suspension, and none other than the man who hits right above Harper nightly in the Phillies' lineup, Kyle Schwarber.
It was Schwarber who was Bryce Harper's final formidable opponent in 2018, the only man who could stand between the then Nationals hero and his coveted first Home Run Derby championship. The two, now teammates, will be swinging off against one another yet again on Monday, July 13, when we'll see which of the two home-team sluggers could be the first Phillie to win the contest in 20 years, since Ryan Howard in 2006.
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