No. 1: Bryce Harper
What can we say about Bryce Harper and his glorious times with the Phillies over the past few seasons?
The renowned superstar has maintained close to a 30-HR, 100-RBI pace each year when projected over a 162-game schedule. During his current five-year tenure with the ballclub, he has won an NL MVP award and two Silver Slugger awards, along with being an All-Star for the seventh time in his career.
More impressive is the fact that he even came back early from Tommy John surgery this past season to help make sure he could do the best he could to get the Phillies back into the postseason for a second consecutive year. He was even willing to move to first base from the outfield to maximize the team’s potential on the field and protect his health. He has been a huge difference maker for the ballclub during their two World Series runs in each of the past two seasons, often coming up big at just the right times.
At the age of 31, Harper is heading into the sixth year of his 13-year contract with the Phillies in 2024. With his permanent move to first base to preserve his health, Harper should have plenty left to offer in the coming years for the ballclub.
He'll give the Phillies an extended contention window for at least the next four to five years with high-quality baseball, and no doubt has had the greatest impact on their success during the past few seasons.