Bryce Harper further embodies Phillies' revenge tour with Player of the Month honors

It takes a collective effort from an entire roster for a team to win a championship. However, every club has at least one superstar. For the Philadelphia Phillies, Bryce Harper's play arguably makes the biggest impact for them.

Before he signed with the franchise in February 2019, they hadn't had a difference-maker of his quality since the trio of Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard were all in the prime of their careers in the early 2010s.

Bryce Harper further embodies Phillies' revenge tour with Player of the Month honors

The Phillies, led by Harper, have performed like a team on a mission to win the World Series in 2024. Entering their scheduled game on June 3 versus the Milwaukee Brewers, they have a 41-19 record. They did have the highest winning percentage in all of baseball - the New York Yankees currently possess that but Philly still has the best in the NL.

After coming up short of making back-to-back World Series last year as Philadelphia lost in the NLCS to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Harper, and the Phillies have put MLB on notice so far that it is championship or bust this year with 41 wins in their first 60 contests.

After an average April at the plate, with a .245/.351/.489 line in 94 at-bats, the former NL MVP had a much better offensive performance in May. In 96 at-bats, the infielder posted a slash line of .313/.407/.583. He led the NL with a .990 OPS and 24 RBI. The seven-time All-Star finished tied for first in the league with seven home runs and 1.4 fWAR.

According to MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan, this is the first time Harper has won a Player of the Month honor since April 2016. The Las Vegas, Nevada native's 44 RBI are tied for sixth in MLB and third in the NL.

In 2024, his .381 weighted on-base average (wOBA) is in the top eight percent of MLB, and his walk rate of 14.5 percent is ranked in the top two percent. He has consistently ranked among the best in the majors for the last several seasons in maximum exit velocity, expected batting average, expected slugging percentage, wOBA, expected weighted on-base average, expected weighted on-base average on contact, and walk rate.

Harper will look to carry over his exceptional offensive output from May into June. He could make his eighth All-Star game appearance with a solid month. The former outfielder could join other Phillies players such as Ranger Suárez, Alec Bohm, and Zack Wheeler in potentially representing the organization in the annual exhibition of MLB's best players.

The superstar first baseman's ultimate competitiveness paid off with an excellent month at the plate. Philly fans will see if that will continue as the season approaches the halfway point.