5 way-too-early Phillies All-Star predictions

Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper has been the face of the Philadelphia Phillies since he put on the red pinstripes in 2019. But astonishingly enough, he has never played in an All-Star Game while with the Phillies. Well, that will change this season. He did get selected in 2022 as the NL designated hitter but missed the event with a broken thumb.

After a weirdly cold start, Harper has been swinging a strong bat and raised his slash line to .254/.378/.516 and an .895 OPS. Through his first 15 games, he hit just .190 with a .673 OPS. In his last 19 contests, he's hitting .313 with a 1.083 OPS. He has nine home runs, 28 RBI and 20 runs scored. His 1.3 fWAR is tied for the second-highest in the NL among qualified first basemen and is the third-best mark in the majors.

Not only has Harper's hitting been the story this year, but his move to first base has been seamlessly impressive. He has made the switch look easy. He is a natural at fielding first base and has made every play you would hope an average first baseman would make. So far this year, he has +3 OAA, which is the second-highest among first basemen.

It’s criminal that Bryce Harper hasn’t played in an All-Star game since 2018, even winning an MVP award in that time. The Phillies will finally have their 31-year-old superstar representing them at the 2024 Midsummer Classic.